Jürgen Klopp: We will need the best 12.30pm atmosphere ever
Jürgen Klopp has called on supporters to create the 'best 12.30pm atmosphere ever' as Liverpool aim to go top of the Premier League table when they face Watford at Anfield on Saturday.
With Manchester City not in action until later in the day when they travel to Burnley, the Reds can climb to the summit of the standings – at least momentarily – by avoiding defeat against the Hornets in the weekend's early kick-off.
Indeed, should Liverpool clinch victory, they will move two points ahead of their fellow title challengers – and Klopp believes fans have a huge role to play in trying to make that happen.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the manager said: "It's a very good example for how important is it to be top of the league at 2.30pm on a Saturday when all the rest are playing after? It's not too important.
"We were, most of the time, in the situation that City played before us and this time we play [first], but I couldn't care less about what is after that. It is just about how well are we prepared for the 12.30pm situation because we face Watford. Watford won their last game, Watford smells the chance to stay in the league, they will go with everything. They have a very experienced manager, the way they set up is very well organised, a lot of individual talent.
"It happens so often in the Premier League, when I watch the teams when we do the analysis it is like, 'Wow, they are so good... they are good here, they are good there, good there' and in the end they don't have a lot of points. That's just because of the quality in the league, but individual in the group is really good and that's what we have to be aware of.
"What we need for this game is a sensational, the best – the best – 12.30pm atmosphere ever. Not nervous, not whatever, not tense and you cannot breathe... if you cannot shout and sing, stay at home and give your ticket to somebody else, please.
"Really, we need you with all we have – the boys came back from all over the world, played completely different systems again and we have this one session today where we can make sure we remind them of what we actually do because their national teams obviously do it completely different.
"Then we go against a very well-organised Watford team and we need each voice for that."