RB Salzburg ‘fan’ Juergen Klopp says they won’t take him by surprise
Juergen Klopp said yesterday that he is determined that unfancied Red Bull Salzburg spring no surprises on Liverpool, as the long-time admirer of the Austrian champions prepares for a key Champions league clash at Anfield tomorrow morning (Singapore time).
Salzburg are top of Group E after thrashing Genk 6-2 in their Champions League opener two weeks ago, while the Reds are under pressure to bounce back with a win after losing 2-0 at Napoli.
Teenage sensation Erling Braut Haaland scored a sensational hat-trick in the Genk mauling, and Liverpool are well acquainted with Salzburg's development of young players, with Reds duo Sadio Mane and Naby Keita both having had spells with Salzburg earlier in their careers, reported AFP.
Said Klopp: "We have to start winning and we should not waste time.
"It is really tough and they will surprise a lot of people, tomorrow night and in the future.
"The way Salzburg play is made to surprise bigger teams.
"But if there is anybody in the world who knows most about the way they play, how they do (it), what they do, it's probably me. I've followed their way for a long, long time.
"I had a similar idea when I started as a manager."
Klopp has developed significantly since starting out in the dugout and former Liverpool defender Christian Ziege believes his compatriot is now the best in the world.
The former European Cup winner told Omnisport: "If you take those who everybody talks about, there is no one who did better than Klopp...
"He won the Champions League and finished second in the league with 97 points, which is mayhem. Now he's leading the league again, even though it is still early in the campaign.
"This proves to me that he has to be an exceptional coach, because all of this can't happen by accident."
Mane, meanwhile, has insisted ending a 30-year-wait to win a league title will not be given precedence over retaining their Champions League crown.
"Both are important for me. Both are our target. We are Liverpool, we have a great team, so I don't think we should have a problem about it," said the Senegalese, who is looking forward to facing his former club.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, however, believes the Reds have to guard against complacency.
He told talkSPORT: "When... you're having the success Liverpool are having, you play sometimes in a comfort zone.
"I'm all for them winning ugly, but the overall performance in recent weeks will be concerning...
"Playing average and winning games is a great habit... but you have to be careful, because the level of performance for Liverpool and bar they've set... hasn't been good enough."
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