What Jurgen Klopp told Liverpool players before Man Utd clash was executed to perfection
Liverpool front line compared to 'raptors' by assistant
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is said to have ordered his players to press until “the last metre” against Manchester United’s frail defence and his team executed his plan to perfection at Old Trafford. The Reds did not give their bitter rivals a moment’s peace as they ruthlessly punished Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side during a brutal opening 45 minutes.
The majority of Liverpool’s goals that afternoon came from their willingness to press and win the ball back as soon as possible.
On many occasions – even besides the goals – Liverpool found themselves attacking with devastating pace in numbers against a United backline that simply had no time to readjust after losing possession.
Take the opening goal for example and Mohamed Salah was spoilt for choice as both Naby Keita and Andy Robertson darted past the lonely Luke Shaw.
Klopp’s men just refused to let United out and even when the Red Devils managed to dispossess Liverpool in attack, the visitors were hunting in packs to win it back.
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According to The Athletic, Klopp told his players in the dressing room before they graced the Old Trafford turf: “When you press high, you have to do it with total intensity, going the last metre.”
Harry Maguire and Co were run ragged and made to look like amateurs as they struggled to contain the likes of Salah, Roberto Firmino, Keita and Diogo Jota.
The message from Klopp perhaps offers some insight into exactly why Jota started ahead of Sadio Mane, particularly on the back of the Senegal international’s impressive showing at Watford last time out in the Premier League.
When the Portuguese forward first joined the club from Wolves last year, Klopp’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders highlighted just how good Jota was at pressing, suggesting he was the perfect fit for Liverpool.
“Diogo, his technical level is the same as our front three,” said Lijnders.
“He has his future in his feet. He will have a great pathway inside our club.
“He is like a pressing monster so he will fit in straight away.”
The omission of Mane raised some eyebrows ahead of kick-off but Jota’s performance more than justified his inclusion.
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Klopp was also keen to pay tribute to Firmino’s special performance after he pulled Maguire out of joint all afternoon.
“Mo [Salah] gets a lot of attention and rightly so but Firmino was outstanding,” Klopp said.
“For people with football knowledge, people will write books about how he interprets the false 9.
“We don’t say he invented it but it looks like that at times. It was insane.”
When Liverpool execute Klopp’s game plan to a tee and press as if their life depends on it, the Reds take some stopping…
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