Mueez Ajao
– Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has said he almost rang a UK radio station to defend rivals Manchester United from fierce criticism.
– United have endured a miserable start to the Premier League season and sit bottom of the table following defeats to Brighton and Brentford.
– After the 4-0 loss at Brentford, former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor slammed United on talkSPORT and Klopp hit back at the pundit’s comments.
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– “It was not a nice week for United after Brentford. We forget how good Brentford are,” Klopp told a news conference on Friday. “I watched the first half and then drove home and listened on the radio to talkSPORT.
– “Gabby Agbonlahor — he lost against us 6-0 in my first year and I couldn’t remember him as a mentality monster on the pitch but what he said about United on that show…I was close to calling in and telling him you forgot completely you have been a player.
– “If ex players go already like this then you can imagine how everything else is going. You just have to ask yourself how you would want to react in a situation like this. They will want to fight back, that’s completely normal and it’s what we expect.”
🗣️ "I listened to Gabby Agbonlahor, he lost against us 6-0 in my first year…"
Jurgen Klopp says he was close to calling in to TalkSport after hearing the post-match reaction to Man United's loss to Brentford 🤣📞pic.twitter.com/Q55SJXU6b2
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 19, 2022
Klopp in full here: https://t.co/DXOGfzH4M7
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) August 19, 2022
– Klopp’s side travel to Old Trafford on Monday and he is confident United will have extra motivation, and said he would have preferred to play their bottom-placed opponents following victories rather than defeats.
– Liverpool thrashed their bitter rivals 5-0 and 4-0 last season but Klopp reminded fans that his side have not made a great start to their campaign.
– “Of course, I would prefer to play them after they win 5-0 but it isn’t dreamland, that’s how it is,” he added. “We drew twice too, so is it better to play us? I don’t know.
– “We have to deal with all the situations. The whole world will watch it, let’s see how these heavyweights deal with the situation.
– “The last two results, I knew already wouldn’t help this time. I couldn’t be less interested in the results from last season… It helps United to be more motivated if that’s possible.
– “This is a completely different game in a completely different situation. United can change nothing or everything, so it’s tricky preparation-wise, but it’s early and we don’t have a lot of info. It’s tough… United away will never be easy.”
– Klopp said defender Joe Gomez will start after coming off the bench in their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace while forward Roberto Firmino is also available after shaking off a minor muscle issue.
Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita are expected to be fit to face Manchester United, Jürgen Klopp has confirmed. 🗣
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 19, 2022
