Klopp: We'll be ready if Guardiola mixes it up
Past experience of coming up against Pep Guardiola means Jürgen Klopp is prepared for all tactical eventualities ahead of Manchester City's visit to Anfield tomorrow evening.
Liverpool welcome City to L4 for their final game of 2016 with just a point separating the sides in the Premier League table.
The second-placed Reds and City, who sit third in the standings, are the division’s top two teams this season in terms of passes and average possession, and Guardiola’s reputation as a coach who prizes control of the ball above all else is something he has carried since his days with Barcelona.
But Liverpool boss Klopp, who competed with the Spaniard during their respective tenures at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, is well aware of his opposite number’s willingness to mix his tactics up.
“Bayern changed their style of play against us a few times, not always, but a few times,” Klopp said.
“A clear philosophy does not mean that you stick to it in every moment. If you have to adapt to your opponent, then that is what we all do.
“The public view on it was that they were pretty direct, that’s true. Manuel Neuer is good with the ball so the first ball was long but after winning second ball they played football and didn’t shoot the second ball immediately in the same direction again.
“The style of the game isn’t everything. It is kind of important but in the end you only want to get your players looking forward with the ball. How you do it is not important.
“It is not about having 20 passes - if you have to play a long ball that is good and fighting for a second ball is good too. Then you want to have influence with the ball.
“It is not a big difference between the ideas but when you look from the outside there is an image that Pep is kind of possession and I am kind of counter-pressing.
“I don’t need names for things. We play the football we think that makes sense and Pep does the same with his team and his ideas. I never thought too much about the ideas of other managers - only until before the game when we played them.”
On Guardiola, against whom Klopp won four games and lost four in Germany, the boss added: “He has had a fantastic career until now. You always have to adapt to your players and that is what he is doing and it is what we do.
“He came here with open eyes. He could have had easier jobs in easier leagues, that is for sure. He could have gone anywhere but he wanted to come here. He was probably 100 per cent aware of the big challenge.
“He knew he had a wonderful squad at Barcelona and a wonderful squad at Bayern but he had big influence on the way they played football.
“If you go to Barcelona as a new manager they will tell you: ‘By the way, don’t forget, we play like Pep Guardiola played.’
“That’s the biggest influence you can have. Bayern loved the years he was there. He is a fantastic manager.”
Klopp also offered an insight into how Liverpool - the Premier League’s leading goalscorers this season - have adapted to the challenge of breaking down opponents who seek to sit deep and frustrate them.
“Obviously we have a really good football team. We knew about the problems, we knew about the name of Liverpool and the influence the name has when we go to other stadiums and play another opponent,” he continued.
“Even when you are only ninth in the table it is enough for other teams to play Liverpool so that means sitting back. That means we have to have an idea for it.
“A lot of time people said there is no plan against deep-defending teams. I was not interested in what people said.
“First of all, you have to bring through your strengths and when you are a very young team starting on your way, you cannot have all the things in the same moment.
“You have to concentrate on one thing. Make this stronger, stronger, stronger and if you have time and an opportunity to widen your possibilities then that is how it works. This team is a really good possession team and we have to use that.”