Boss on Exeter threat and FA Cup tradition
Jürgen Klopp insists he won't underestimate the quality Liverpool's next opponents Exeter City possess ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup third round clash.
The Reds travel to St James Park on Friday night to begin their bid to win the world's oldest cup competition against a League Two outfit who will be hoping to pull off a famous giant-killing.
And Klopp is fully aware of the dangers of a trip to lower-league opposition in knockout competition.
Speaking at his press conference to preview the tie, the manager said: “We know that they are a good team. They had a respectable result against Sunderland in the League Cup, 6-3.
“It's not too easy to score three goals against a Premier League team but they did. The quality of their players is in no doubt and they all play football. They are professional so they train a lot too. That's all clear.
“The dressing room should be very small, I heard about it. Maybe we should not be the longest time in there and go out and play football. I saw after the big rain that the pitch is not in the best shape I would say.”
Tuesday's 1-0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium means Liverpool are just 90 minutes away from securing a place in the final of the other domestic cup on offer this season - the Capital One Cup.
But the boss was adamant his side cannot start dreaming about another trip to Wembley and have to take each tie as it comes.
He added: “It's a big big tournament for sure and there's big respect for this tournament of course. I spoke to the players before the semi-final [against Stoke City] and asked them if it's important for you this cup, then you have to show it.
“My players showed that they were really interested in winning this cup. That's good and the same thing is with the FA Cup. We can't think about this in our first round of course.
“You only can go through the whole tournament to the final if you win each game but tomorrow we have to find a solution for the common situation.”
The 48-year-old has selection worries ahead of the tie due to a spate of injury problems, but says such excuses aren’t remembered in a tournament famous for it’s upsets.
“Nobody is interested if you go back to these shock results and ask why it happens," he said.
"I think I heard Manchester United lost two years ago against Leeds and nobody is interested in why they played with the team they played, if they played with the first team or not.
“It's only the two names of the clubs. Everybody wants to see the sensation but it's always [like this] with the first round, maybe in the second round too. That's what you have to live with in football but the team that will play tomorrow will want to win this game 100 per cent.
“But it will be a team that didn't play too often together, that's the truth. If this is a chance for Exeter, then they have to take it. That's football, we only go there to win the game and get into the next round.”