Jürgen Klopp will attend the Merseyside derby after leaving Liverpool. To hear him explain why before a final match with Everton showed the Liverpool manager’s need to recover after another title race.
Klopp may favor the 244th edition of England’s most-played derby on Wednesday, when the local rivals are both keen for a win for different reasons. He has lost only one of 18 Merseyside derbies, behind closed doors during the outbreak.
He has never lost at Goodison Park, and a 10th win over Everton would be Liverpool’s 100th. Klopp has never actually relished it beyond the victory.
“Around the derby is just pressure,” said Liverpool manager, who will miss Diogo Jota for two weeks due to injury. “Why should joy be higher when pressure is higher?
Nice triumph, but why should I miss the pressure? The pressure is on when you’re playing for something. When you’re both down, it’s the game you must win. Why would I miss that pressure? The experience is unpleasant.
Everyone else can simply watch and say, ‘Oh my God, it looks exciting.’ Someone must make decisions, do this, do that.
Many people visit me during games and remark, ‘We will not see that any more or that any more,’ yet I work all the time while you watch the games. I’m always there.
After the game, I can’t relax. Constantly being in this scenario is bad. Maybe some like that more than me. But I won’t miss that.”
Klopp said: “I had my last European game last week [against Atalanta]. We lost, and you can say it was my last game, but I just tried to figure out how I felt and found nothing.
I didn’t think I’d never play in Europe again. If so, I wouldn’t stop it.”
Klopp is also wary of the Merseyside derby due of its physicality, but he hopes its past is changing. “It used to be the most physical game,” he remarked.
“At first, I showed the players films of Jamie Carragher in the derby and Stevie Gerrard getting red cards—I love one and appreciate the other.
People expect a red card versus Everton to be alright. Not at all—we simply go there to win the game.
“Initially, I thought it was over the top. It has settled since then, and I hope it stays that way because it should. I initially thought, ‘Wow, that’s what they are permitted to do?’ I didn’t understand.
But I had to learn these things over time. I’m ready for all the ups and downs and good and bad that make football so unique. Not when it’s overdone.”
Klopp said Everton’s home wins over Nottingham Forest and Burnley had “pretty much sorted” their top division status for another season.
Everton boss Sean Dyche, who will miss Beto due to concussion protocols and doubt Dominic Calvert-Lewin, disagrees. The 244th Merseyside derby is crucial for Liverpool.
“Until a few weeks ago everything was better than people expected [at the start of the season], then we played one of our better performances at [Manchester] United but lost, and then it is:
‘Why don’t you score more?’” Klopp added. Only Manchester City and Arsenal have scored more, but not 50. We win at Atalanta, not enough to advance, and then we defeat Fulham, which some say wasn’t good.
Oh, to play a Premier League game and experience the intensity. Very optimistic. We won the last two games 4-1 [on aggregate], so we are in a terrific spot.”
