Klopp Talk: “Much More Aggression, Braver, More Ready”

Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please. I have a very important announcement to make. Ahem.

Liverpool Football Club has won a football game. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.

It’s good to get back to winning ways as Liverpool posted a much-needed victory against Ajax at home in the Champions League. Their depressing 4-1 loss against Napoli, in addition to the rest of their poor league season, has left many fans frustrated and desperate for some good news.

While another comprehensive victory a la Bournemouth would have been preferable, a late header by Joēl Matip to ensure victory will do us well enough.

Manager Jürgen Klopp, when asked about the difference between this match and the one last week against Napoli, said that they might as well have been playing two different sports.

“I think if you put the two games, Napoli and tonight, next to each other you don’t recognise probably that it’s the same sport,” he said.

“So, wholly different – the start was different, the middle was different, finish was different. The football we played, the way we defended, everything was different. Much higher intensity, much more aggression, braver, more ready. How I said, everything was better.”

With Liverpool’s league game against Chelsea canceled due to the Queen’s funeral, this game is the last one before the players fan out around the globe for the international break. When the season resumes, the Reds will have two matches to make up somewhere in their schedule, but hopefully they’ll also have a more fit and rested team to continue pushing on their campaign in the fall.