Klopp Talk: “We Have to Keep Fighting”

Ahead of Liverpool FC’s visit to Ibrox to play Rangers in the Champions League, Jürgen Klopp spoke to the media at the pre-match press conference. At the presser, the manager dunked on professional prick Didi Hamann in a rather entertaining exchange with a journalist who had quoted the ex-Liverpool player’s comments that “Liverpool need a spark” as a pundit on RTE Sport over the weekend.

“Oh great, he is a fantastic source. Well respected everywhere.”

“(Being a former Liverpool player) doesn’t give you the right to say what you want, especially when you have no idea.”

“I actually think Didi Hamann doesn’t deserve that you use his phrase when asking a question. Do me a favour and ask your own question. Try to ask the question without the word ‘spark’.”

I would normally not give Hamann the time of day, but it’s great to see him knocked down a peg or two.

The boss also spoke on the team’s 3-2 loss at the Emirates over the weekend:

“We have to keep fighting. It will not happen overnight. I know people don’t want to hear that. On Sky Sports, the ref watch, Mr Dermot (Gallagher) twice says the decision was wrong from the best English referee, Michael Oliver, the penalty was no penalty. Before the season we had a big meeting with the refs and they said ‘no soft penalties any more.”

“Then we have seen this season already what kind of situations we have seen for handball and there are penalties with the exactly the same situation, but not in this game. The first goal, I heard now, of Arsenal was pretty likely offside but we cannot find out because the camera was not there, or the angle. Then I saw the picture and it is obvious (Bukayo) Saka came back from an offside position.”

“We conceded silly goals, especially the second one in the first half. Between the first and second goal we played, against a team in form in the league, a really good game. But we were 2-1 down.”

“Second half we get out and score our second goal and then the penalty that was not a penalty. We don’t play our absolute best football, I saw that, but we played against a team in form in the league that are first in the table. But we lost it in the way we lost it.

“What do we miss in this game? The right ref decisions would have been helpful and then we can judge the game. If we win that game, for the outside world our problems are completely sorted. We know it is not like that. Now we lost the game and three players but the only thing we can do is keep fighting and that is what we will do.”

We’re woefully out of form. The injuries are mounting before the previous batch has completely eased, and the schedule is brutal. And we aren’t getting any lucky breaks or calls that can turn close games into wins either. Oh well, that’s life in the big leagues. The schedule rolls on. Liverpool will play Rangers at Ibrox tonight in the Champions League Group stage before they host Abu Dhabi Sportswashing Inc. and the Norwegian goalscoring deathbot on Sunday.