(Mic Setup Noises)
Reporter: (unintelligible)
Oxlade Chamberlain transfers
what can you tell us?
Klopp: Usually I don't say anything about transfer rumours
but I can make an exception ... no problem.
Nonsense!
Reporter: Nonsense?!?
Klopp: Yea
Reporter: Can I ask you about the transfer window itself?
How important it is to you as the manager,
this January transfer window?
Klopp: I thought I actually said
everything about the January transfer window but
we can speak again about it.
My English is not good enough to use different words
So I'll say maybe exactly the same what I said before
and that's, If we think we have to do something
and if there's the player which can help us
not only in January but in February, March,
April, May, and the season after
then we would do something
but, if not, then not, that's how it is so
But it's the only time in the year one of the two time periods in the year
where you can do something
so, of course, it's important but I'm not sure
that it will be important for us this year.
Reporter: As much as we have talked about
the three games that's just happened.
It is your focus now, how big a game is this for Liverpool?
Klopp: It's very big for both, eh? So it's
Anyway many have a look at the table
and you can see that obviously six clubs fight
for, fight for FOUR or ONE
Really interesting position
then you have the midfield at this moment probably
Southampton, Everton and all the rest is
I hope I didn't forget anybody
fights for staying in the league.
So already that means each game is already kind of a final
So, we ... we know this.
But we know on the other hand side
that there are a lot of games to come
and you need to be ready for them too.
So, but, it's the only thing we have to do
on New Year's Eve actually so it's the most
important game I can imagine.
Again, it's an outstanding, strong side and
But I've always said before there are a lot
of advantages before the game
the only real advantage can be ... It's at Anfield.
So, we should try to use this advantage.
And we are obviously not in the worst shape
But, unfortunately Man City too and that
means it will be really difficult
for both teams I would say so and honestly
I'm really looking forward to it because
we all love playing against the best and
they are for sure in the group of the best
teams in the world so... happy to have the opportunity
Reporter: At the start of the season
people predicted Manchester City to be
pretty much in the shape of Chelsea are at the moment.
Are you surprised about what happened?
Klopp: I don't think that anybody though that
they'd play like Chelsea in a moment when Pep Guardiola is there.
So in the position maybe, that's completely
different team completely different way of
playing football but that's not too important
Pep Guardiola has his clear philosophy and
Reporter: More position really...
Klopp: Yeah, Yeah, ok. They were in a good way
and then a few things happened, I don't
know how many games they won in the start
so that's not really likely I would say when you
come into a club that everything works like this immediately
but that's highest quality in the team
highest quality on the bench
so that's a pretty good mixture
and so they are successful.
But this league is really difficult
to play for all of us
and a lot of challenges to win each week
and so I didn't think too much in summer
about where Man City will end and actually
not too much in the last week so
I only thought about what we have to do
to win the game.
Reporter: Can you talk about
back in, firstly the best:
Sergio Aguero has returned to fitness now hasn't he?
So how do you feel about
the chance for him to come back in?
Klopp: Actually I hope Pep gave him the
opportunity to have 3 1/2 weeks off
somewhere
nice weather
Argentina is better and
good at the moment I think, so yeah
what can I say he's back and
good striker
obviously
but yea we played them already
and it was involved and
But I always thought that
he was quite a talented boy
that I think
I never made a secret of it
so now he's back in the team
with a lot of other really good players
so that makes life not easier for us
But, again we knew it before
and even when he's not playing
then outstanding as they are
an outstanding team so that's not
too much we think about that's really only one thing
of a lot of things.
How it always is. Aguero
can always score goals if somebody gives him the ball
so we have to avoid easy passes
I would say. Probably we cannot avoid each pass
in this area, his area, but the easy ones we should avoid
We can defend ... we are able to defend really good
So, for this we need to be concentrated
that's the biggest challenge in this game
to play on the highest concentration level
in each second of the game but again
it's for both teams hopefully the same
so they could have the same problems with us.
Reporter: So, he's one of that ... a talisman
Philippe is arguably one of your talisman as well
does he have any chance
Philippe, none at all now?
Klopp: (shakes head) No.
He's in a good way, a really good way
I just spoke to him few minutes ago
But ... yeah ... for the City game for sure too early
and if the City game is too early
then pretty sure the Sunderland game is
too early too. So yeah, that's it.
Reporter: Jurgen you know you don't have
to talk about Alex Oxlade Chamberlain rumor is nonsense
so we won't talk about that.
But what irritated
you more about it though
is it because maybe
all the people in your team, in Liverpool
try and gain an advantage to their benefit?
All the speculation goes with it which is also...
Klopp: No ... no ... this kind of thing is
what I think a lot about
and say nothing
because it's really not interesting
what I think about this.
But you are already on
kind of a path so do with it what you want
But, from my side nothing else to say about it.
Reporter: Pep Guardiola was also here
watching the game on Tuesday in his hat
You said you hadn't been to see City this year
but did go last season. Did you choose
not to go to games there? Why do you not
go watch them, is it because... (unintelligible)
Klopp: Last year it never worked out
I could have watched one or two Champions League games,
so I watch alone
but I like watching football I said it already
the problem is little bit I have no idea that you go down
more that nobody can obviously avoid ask for a selfie
so and then you stand up all the time and say yes
yes, ok of course because we all love to do it
and then cannot watch the game for a second
so I can see it better from home.
So I thought
when I was younger and nobody knew me
then I watched each weekend in each stadium
in Germany football games. I only do it for
watching football. If now Pep did it but he was first time here.
So, and I watched Man City a lot only
not live in the stadium so and we have
wonderful camera perspectives for our
analysis so it's much better than sitting
on the stand but of course as I said
I enjoyed it a lot to do it to get an
impression of everything, the crowd
the relationship between performance and crowd
a lot of things that you can learn when you watch a game live
But it's quite difficult to do it so
actually last year I had absolutely no time I would say
and this year... yea ... I didn't do it.
Reporter: Jurgen you mentioned that
you'll be without Coutinho
but you are expecting Joel Matip to be there
for the game?
Klopp: Nope. (scattered laughter)
Reporter: Question about James Milner...
Klopp: He's fit (knocks his own head)
Reporter: ...the way he's played at left back
have you known a player adjust so well
to somewhere that isn't his primary position and
also saved you a bit of money in the transfer market too.
Klopp: Lucas Piszcek,
when we took him from Hertha BSC Berlin he was a right winger
and we asked him told him we want to have a right full back
and he said, "I can't play right full back"
and we said, "yes you can"
he came and played right full-back since then.
So, yeah it's not likely and it's not often
it's not that you start I don't know
as a goal keeper and end
as a premier league striker but football
has changed in the last few years and
you need different players, different skills
for different positions than before in former times so
Milly for us it was clear that if he was open
for this position
then everything will be good
not a big surprise for us, not because
we are a genius or because we know
we already knew him and knew how we
want to play from the position.
For example Clyney on the other side played in the past
his position, completely different.
Now he's the same on the right side, he's
more a winger than he was last year and
that's exactly the same development
only a different way if you want.
Things change and the players have to adapt
and you are never too old to develop
and I've said it before Milly didn't love the position but I think
nobody really spoke with him about it.
Put him there play it
But we always liked this player
so for us it was clear to try everything to use him
and that's what happened.
Reporter: Do you look back at the games
you've had against Pep Guardiola in the past
to glean anything about what possibly could happen
Klopp: (shakes head) No, because
maybe it's a big surprise but I don't play against Pep Guardiola
our teams play against each other and they are completely different
than Bayern was or Dortmund was when we played each other
we know about
nearly everything about how Pep played with Bayern
but that's not important anymore because now he's in Man City
different players, different things to do, different systems
we are different team, so in this moment
both sides cannot be sure which idea the other team has
so that's what we have to accept it's what I accept of course
but it's not that we have a look back
in the last few games against Pep Guardiola because
we don't play each other, our teams do it...
Reporter: Pep is regarded as a great innovator
what influence do you think he's had on the modern game
in general in terms of things he does or his changes.
Klopp: Football ... total football or something...
In Dutch it was Johan Cruyff something like this
Maybe Johan Cruyff started it but Pep
made it perfect with his side in Barcelona
and a big influence at Bayern the game
of Bayern changed completely so he's
an outstanding manager 100%.
I'm not interested too much in giving
the things a name, but you can see it
on the pitch. He's really influential manager
and he has a clear idea, pretty much
good idea to be honest so that's it.
He had a fantastic career until now so
got a nice start at Barcelona and really
really good at Bayern so now he's in City
and I think he's there to be successful
and not to show how good he is so
that's the thing, that's how we all are
we want to help our team.
But as I said very influential
the Barcelona style is not possible
for each team to play so it depends
a lot on the players you have, I mean,
you can tell a Sunday morning league team
to play like Barcelona and it's pretty difficult
so it's always a different way you have to choose
you have to adapt to your player and
see what he's doing and it is what we do
Reporter: This is two good attacking
sides going up against each other.
Does that mean defense becomes
more important, almost the deciding
factor almost.
Klopp: (laughs) Umm... yes.
I would say we should think a little bit
about how we protect our own attacks.
Both teams are pretty good in counter-attack
so that's a big thing
Both teams are pretty good in possession
so you have to defend on the highest level
And in the end probably the detail will
make the difference. I'm not sure.
But, it's actually nice to think about.
Not that nice to speak about but nice to think about
and to try everything what you can in the game
and that's what we actually want.
What I like is that
ok we beat them last year
but we lost the final unfortunately.
But we beat them last year and it was really
it was difficult of course. It was kind of I would say
they were top of the table and we were
kind of ... I don't know ... somewhere, nowhere
but could win the game. They are
getting better since last year, we are getting better too
So, it'll really be interesting
but it will be a be a different game to last year.
It's not exactly the same, we cannot
play like last year, they WILL not play
like last year so that's really exciting I would say
If I would not sit on the bench I would
buy a ticket 100% for this game and
yea... that's good.
PR: OK guys, thank you very much.
Klopp: YOU'RE WELCOME!