Jurgen Klopp scrunched up his face as he gathered his thoughts. It was almost time for him to return to his office but, first, he wanted to clear something up.
‘Fear?’ Klopp asked to ensure he had understood the original question.
So, in a small room to the side of Liverpool’s press auditorium, the words were repeated. What do you fear about going to Old Trafford? The context was explained further.
Manchester United have won their last nine games, Liverpool, after losing at Southampton and drawing with Plymouth and Sunderland, appear to be wobbling. Again Klopp scrunched his face.
‘Nothing,’ came the matter-of-fact reply. ‘What could I fear? At this moment, anything is possible. It could be United are not at their best level and it’s just nobody knows about it yet. I don’t fear things like this. I’ve had enough time in the game to realise what happens.
‘I’m 100% positive - absolutely looking forward to the game. We’ve now had four days to react from a really bad game (at Southampton) on our side by playing in a very important game. I love it. That’s how football should be.’
Then came that megawatt smile. Hands in his pockets, leaning against a wall, Klopp was displaying all the traits that he does before a big game and few come bigger than a collision between English football’s most successful teams.
‘When I woke up this morning I thought, “Yes! Only two days to go!”,’ said Klopp. ‘I hear in your questions that, because of our last game, it’s “Oh my God! Now it’s Man United!” and all that stuff. But give me 11 players and we will be competitive. These are my players.’
Klopp gave the impression of not having a care in the world but, privately, he will recognise what is at stake tomorrow. His side could move eight points clear of their bitter rivals and dream about the remainder of the season or have their advantage slashed to two points.
This is a ground that has given Liverpool nightmares. Their first visit on February 19, 1910 was successful. Captain Arthur Goddard - one of the club’s first big players - scored twice, including the winner, but since then victories have been few and far between. To give it context, it is one of only 16 wins Liverpool have recorded against United away from home in the league in 121 years. He is also facing up to a resurgent Jose Mourinho, who has won eight of his 13 Premier League fixtures against Liverpool.
None of that, though, perturbs Klopp. He might be without his leading scorer Sadio Mane, while skipper Jordan Henderson and key defender Joel Matip have fitness issues but the opportunity to make progress is not lost on him.
He had a glint in his eye, too, when discussing United’s form. They may have rattled out an impressive sequence and Klopp acknowledged they are in a better moment than when what was titled ‘Red Monday’ became ‘Dead Monday’ on October 17 after an insipid 0-0 draw. But have they played a team with Liverpool’s capabilities?
‘Jose is at the top level but that’s not new,’ said Klopp. ‘We go there to get a result. Last year was my first time at Old Trafford (in the Europa League) and it was good. A good, intensive game (that finished 1-1). We will be ready again.
‘No matter how much Jose or myself want to win, we can’t make the difference. The players have to perform. In all games they’ve won since they last played us, they haven’t played us.
‘They were different kind of games.
‘They had some results people expected and in others they had some luck, goals in the right moments — offside, not offside. They deserve the run they have had. But our plan is to make it difficult for them. The last game doesn’t make us weaker. It makes us stronger.’
Liverpool will certainly be in a stronger position if Klopp can continue his own remarkable sequence. He has won each of his first league visits to Stamford Bridge, the Etihad Stadium, Goodison Park and the Emirates and the incentive to do likewise at Old Trafford is huge.
‘It would be a huge gap, but they were already a few points behind a few teams at the top of the table,’ said Klopp, when asked if an eight-point chasm would prove insurmountable. ‘The season is long, this game decides not a lot, actually.
‘At the moment everyone thinks Chelsea will win all their games and I don’t know what they think of Tottenham. The whole of December and January is outstandingly intense but there is still a lot to be done and a lot of things to fix. You cannot wish. You have to do the work.’
@DominicKing_DM