Jurgen Klopp wasn’t happy with the mood in the press room following Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night.
In quotes transcribed by The Athletic, Klopp questioned why the mood amongst reporters was ‘like a funeral.’
“First and foremost, we should stop behaving like we’re in a funeral,” said Klopp. “I didn’t say that to the boys but it’s a little bit the mood in here (his post-match press conference).”
“We will go again (against Aston Villa on Tuesday). We have to show resilience and we will.”
The draw definitely took a little bit of wind out of Liverpool’s sails. Nevertheless, Klopp is right, there’s everything still to play for. Liverpool must keep the intensity high ahead of a huge few weeks ahead.
Reds in Guardiola’s head
Judging by Pep Guardiola’s comments yesterday, Klopp’s insistence that the mood was sombre amongst reporters won’t have come as a surprise to the Manchester City boss.
After his side dismantled Newcastle United 5-0, Guardiola suggested to beIN SPORTS that the media are heavily in Liverpool’s favour during the title race.
“One week ago everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone,” said Pep. “Of course because Liverpool have an incredible history in European competition. Not in the Premier League though, they’ve won one in 30 years.”
Of course the mood at Anfield was more likely to reflect Klopp’s own slightly downbeat demeanour more than anything else.
There’s no denying that Spurs handed his side a significant blow in their hunt for title number 20.
For Guardiola to suggest something more sinister at play just shows that The Reds are in his head. It will hurt him not to have qualified for the Champions League final once more and he appears to be taking that frustration out on Liverpool.
His jibes are unlikely to get a rise out of Klopp, but it will hopefully serve as extra motivation for his players as they continue to chase City down.
Three points on the road at Villa are absolutely crucial. Any slip up and City could as good as win the title with a victory at Wolves on Wednesday.
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