Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed “99.7 per cent” of matches he has overseen at Anfield, a stadium he “loves to bits”.
Liverpool boss Klopp came under fire for criticising the atmosphere during Wednesday night’s 5-1 mauling of West Ham in the EFL Cup, telling fans to give their tickets away if they weren’t prepared to get behind the team in tomorrow’s top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal.
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The German repeated his claim that the stadium was “flat” against the Hammers but insisted he is happy with the atmosphere overall.
Speaking today, he said: “I don’t order atmospheres. We have had two games [against Manchester United and West Ham] and we have had 62 finishes [opportunities]. That’s pretty special, that’s what football is all about.
“Imagine if we’d scored all of them, that’s ridiculous and will never happen so you will have these moments when you create a chance and you miss it.
“When I turned round and people were flat, what exactly do we want? Creating a chance is as close as you can get to scoring a goal.
“It’s no criticism, I have enjoyed 99.7 per cent of each second in this stadium, I love it to bits.
“I am overly happy with everything but if we can do better people show us, that’s fine. I said something and that’s all. If people want to understand me right, I think it’s possible.
“We need Anfield tomorrow, that’s 100 per cent true, and I can’t wait.”
Arsenal arrive on Merseyside a point clear at the top – although they may be overtaken by Aston Villa tonight – but a Liverpool win will see them go into Christmas on top of the pile.
For that to happen, they will have to overcome an Arsenal side of whom Klopp is a big fan.
He added: “We play a super-strong team. We play a team that was exceptional last season. They are coming back and are even better.
“They had top players and already had a top team, but now bring in good players to improve the team.
“They went through a Champions League group pretty easily and play a really good brand of football. It’s a massive game.
“But we have to make sure we make it a proper home game. A proper Anfield experience. That is all I want.”
Club Statement:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) DECEMBER 22, 2023
Liverpool today become the final Premier League club from the six that signed up to the original European Super League proposal to rule out their participation in a revamped competition.
Klopp welcomed the news but also expressed hope that it prompts change from the game’s current guardians.
“I agree 100% with that statement [from Liverpool, reiterating their decision to discontinue their interest in the European Super League],” he said.
“But I am delighted we finally get a bit of an understanding that Fifa and Uefa and other bodies cannot just do what they want.
“In the future we have to talk about a lot of stuff and if we just do the things they do – like putting in more competitions and playing more games – and we don’t have a real say in it and on what is going on, I like that they get a bit of a shake.”
