Well, Jürgen, the best defence against the best attack in the Premier League,
what game are you expecting on Sunday?
Actually, a good one.
I know that very often it doesn’t happen when two top teams face each other,
but I think our history with City shows that very often it was a pretty interesting watch,
because both teams really go for it and want to create opportunities,
want to create chances, want to use momentum, want to use...
..gaps, situations and all these kind of things.
So, that’s why I expect an interesting football game, to be honest.
You look at some of the games, is it one where people will put a lot of emphasis on this
being the title decider, but you can't think like that?
I cannot decide what people think but we can just go through the possible results:
if we win, we are two points up.
If everybody thinks that’s done and dusted with the league, I cannot help!
If we lose, we are four points behind. If anyone thinks that’s it,
I cannot change it, but I know nobody from a City point of view would think like that.
And if it’s a draw, one point behind. That’s it.
A very important game, I’m really looking forward to it,
one of the biggest challenges you can face in football, but that’s really nice,
that’s why you do these kinds of things.
Imagine we would still be 14 or 15 points behind,
it would still be a great game but... a lack of something -
meaning less and these kind of things.
So, it’s good.
We qualified for a great game with the season we played so far,
and I’m really happy we can be part of it.
I can imagine a lot of people will watch it,
and we give it a try, that’s all I can say.
I read this morning that this Manchester City-Liverpool rivalry
is the best seen in the Premier League,
would you go along with that?
- Who said it? - Jamie Carragher.
Then yes.
LAUGHTER
Sorry, I watched a lot of football in my life
but I cannot say now I was always across the subject [Premier League football]
with the detail that I can say it's the biggest rivalry.
It’s cool. The last four years or whatever since we stepped up a little bit
and could close the gap to City slightly, it’s interesting, absolutely.
We push each other to incredible point tallies, madness.
I would have never thought these kind of things are possible -
especially not in this league.
The consistency both teams showed in that period is absolutely crazy.
We had our top year where we won the league, where there was a little gap.
And obviously there were years - especially last year -
when the gap [to City] was again big because we had our problems.
Apart from that, it was always close, which I like.
I always said, the closer you get, the more likely it becomes you can overtake.
But...we know it's tough.
What changed in these four years
is everyone else thinks it’s tough as well when they face us, and that’s really good.
In that respect, Jürgen, do you feel as if the quality of squad both sides have got
and the quality of the football the sides play,
you bring out the best in each other over the course of a whole season?
Probably. Look, if you play professional football on the highest level
your focus is on your own games.
But there’s a moment in the season where you cannot avoid watching the table,
you see one is catching up constantly, you have the same amount of wins
and all these kind of things. That’s normal.
In sports I think what helps you the most is a strong opponent.
In the long term especially it helps you the most.
I think especially [Rafa] Nadal and [Roger] Federer enjoyed a lot the rivalry they had.
I’m not sure if they would still play
if they would have won the tournaments [with] either hand.
They enjoyed that and that’s how it is in sports.
I wouldn’t say I am ‘thankful’ City are that good!
But it didn’t deny our development. So, that’s it.
In terms of what you've just been through with the Champions League games,
yours against Benfica and theirs against Atletico Madrid,
do you think that prepares you well and gets you ready for mentally for a game like this?
Oh, I'm not worried about the mentality of my boys.
We learned over the years to really be focused on each game,
but that doesn't mean you forget about the game after.
After the game the boys were immediately clear, now it's 'City time'
and from a football point of view it didn't help that much,
both teams will not play in a 5-5-0.
There might be moments when they force us to do that!
But, no, these games are, from a football point of view, completely different,
but, yes, we will be prepared;
we both played Tuesday so we had enough time to prepare and recover.
That's good. Yeah, let's go.
Hi, Jürgen. We've seen your players put in some great away performances this season:
Atletico, Old Trafford, the derby [against Everton], Benfica as well,
how important is it that your players go into this one with the same positive mindset?
They know how good Manchester City are but they've got to go into it with the same mindset.
Yeah, it's important, but we didn't think before any of those games,
"We will give them a proper one" or whatever,
it was never like this; not at United, Everton, Atletico.
Before a game like this you have to prepare and you have to show the respect
they deserve with the way you defend.
Against City it’s particularly important,
because they are obviously pretty good with the ball.
There is no game in world football you can compare to playing against City,
because they are good in pretty much all areas, there is no real weakness.
It’s not that you can say, "OK, they are here really good, but there [not so much]."
But, because it's football and the pitch is pretty big
and they have only 10 outfield players, and we have 10 as well,
there are things you can do.
You better use your chances, all these kinds of things, it’s very helpful.
You deny them as much as you can, as often as you can, that’s very helpful.
You need to be properly in the challenges in a football way, really be close enough;
the best players in the world, if you give them a bit more space to do what they do
that makes no sense.
So you have to be really close with the formation and then individually as well.
There is a lot to think about, but in the end it's a game,
and I really hope I can help the boys until then,
that they get all the necessary information but not too much,
and then they can be themselves and enjoy the game.
Pep Guardiola said last week he overthinks things quite a bit going into games,
it it useful to overthink...?
It was ironic.
Did no-one realise?
I heard this week, in Ecuador people made a story
saying I didn't understand Luis Diaz.
You have a really a responsibility on this planet, if you want to talk to us
then, do me a favour and help us with...
When he said ironically, "I overthink things, I like overthinking things..."
Pep is the best coach in the world, I think we all could agree on that,
and it might be a coincidence they didn't work out so far in the Champions League,
but the things he won, the football he played, if anybody doubts him then...
I have no idea how that could happen.
No, we all think a lot, that's the reason why we sometimes we make mistakes,
and sometimes we find out the right things to do.
But in football, you know all that after the game, and not before.
That's why we try to imagine what could happen, what will help,
which makes us more independent of the opponent, all these things...
Yeah, but it's true, in the end, there must be a stop with the information,
because then the boys have to play,
and if I couldn't help them enough during the week,
that would be a bit of a shame.
So hopefully we have been long enough together and did the right stuff often enough
that we are ready to play the best possible game against City. That will be the target.
You suggested on Tuesday that Mo was being slightly influenced
by all the stories around him,
when it comes to a game on Sunday how much do you rely
on the big-game experience of players rather than their current form?
Yeah, that was not about...
Actually I didn't know about stories around,
it was just the story, I thought, of intensity, 120 minutes six times over the past months,
that was what I thought, not the stories that were written,
I didn't even know what was written.
Yes, big game experience helps, definitely.
It is not the only important thing you consider when you make a line-up,
but it’s one of these.
Yeah, that’s it.
Can I just check on fitness news as well?
When I looked at my smartphone last time, it looked like everyone is available again.