If you search through the archives, you won’t really have a hard time finding statements from Jürgen Klopp complaining about the schedule. It’s simple: the Liverpool coach rails almost every year against a rhythm he judges “infernal” for him and his team. An example? At the end of 2016, the German technician publicly attacked the traditional “Boxing Day”. In other words, a crime of lèse-majesté.
“I don’t know what you think, but playing 31 then 2 is not the best idea in the world“, he had dropped in particular. Same thing three years later, in November 2019, where he cursed when his team was to play the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue a month later, at the same time as the Club World Cup in Qatar.”We asked Aston Villa if they wanted to join us“, he was ironic. Same thing at the time of the aborted project of the Super League: “You cannot always add more competitions. It’s very good that the new Super League is no longer on the table, but the new Champions League formula is not great.“
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Latest example to date this week, when Klopp railed against the schedule for the match against Newcastle, scheduled for Saturday April 30 at 12:30 p.m., sandwiched between the semi-final first leg and return against Villarreal. “If you want to cause us trouble, just send us at 12.30 in Newcastlehe regretted. I don’t understand it. I can understand people wanting to see a football match between Liverpool and Newcastle but I don’t see why a team should have an advantage or a disadvantage..” Its leaders have moved from words to action by asking the authorities, according to The Athletic, to postpone the meeting.
A bad experience last season
If Liverpool are wary of the calendar, it is also because it cost them dearly last season, especially during the winter period. The four draws against Fulham, Crystal Palace, West Bromwich and Newcastle, combined with the defeat on the lawn of Southampton, had marked a turning point in the Reds’ season in the Premier League. And while the duel with Manchester City risks being played out at the slightest point this season, Klopp wants to preserve his troops and their feathers. Especially since everyone dreams of a historic quadruple, always possible before the FA Cup semi-final this Saturday against the Citizens.
“It’s the best version of Klopp’s Liverpool, the most accomplished”
“The League and the broadcaster have to help a little, argued Klopp. We’ll see. I haven’t heard anything yet. No one from BT Sport (the Premier League broadcaster, editor’s note) has contacted me yet. But you have to use common senseAt the current stage of things, Liverpool will therefore face City this Saturday, then Manchester United on April 19, Everton on the 24th, Villarreal on the 27th, Newcastle on the 30th and Villarreal on May 3. For the German coach, this schedule is simply “unfair” and risks jeopardizing his goal of taking it all.
City aren’t happy either
In the whirlwind that is looming for Liverpool, Klopp can however count on a larger workforce than last season. Luis Díaz came to reinforce his workforce in January, just like Ibrahima Konaté last summer, then the various Harvey Elliott, Divock Origi or Takumi Minamino can also make their contribution. The second knives were able to rise to the occasion when they were called upon, as evidenced by the victory against AC Milan in the last match of the group stage of the Champions League. Already qualified, the Reds won at San Siro (1-3) with a largely overhauled team.
Liverpool against Milan : Alisson – Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson – Henderson (cap), Fabinho, Keita – Salah, Jota, Mané
Before the clash against City on Saturday, Liverpool Klopp can also count on the freshness of certain executives. Indeed, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Virgil van Dijk started on the bench in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Benfica on Wednesday (3-3). Conversely, Guardiola acknowledged that City had “big problemsafter the grueling 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid. Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker were out injured and Phil Foden ended the game with a bandage on his head.
“The calendar is crazylamented his Spanish midfielder Rodri. We had those two games against Atletico, the other day against Liverpool. You have to work 100% and now we have Liverpool again, too many difficult matches at the same time, but that’s how it is. ” Asked about this, Klopp, he assured that he “didn’t know“if his team would really have an advantage, considering that the two encounters were”intense” and “testing”. Clever, this Jürgen…
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