IT’S EMOTIONAL
But Klopp calling for cool heads after injury horror
THERE is clearly still lingering anger and resentment about the brutality of last season’s 2-2 derby draw at Goodison Park.
But for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the message to his side is simple.
Revenge is not the way but playing “football properly”, even in the emotional heat of the occasion, is the best answer.
Even though the game a year ago started the slide that destroyed not only Virgil van Dijk’s season and the start of Thiago’s time in England – after they suffered long-term injuries – but ultimately the Reds’ chase for honours too.
“We are human beings so it is probably difficult to forget and ignore something like that of course – it is a situation which should not happen in football,” said Klopp. “But the situation was a situation that can always happen in football. It should have been dealt with differently, but that’s not important any more. We have to accept it can happen, and deal with these things.”
Klopp’s calm belied the fact that he passionately felt both Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Richarlison should have been disciplined further for the wild challenges that caused both injuries. Thiago, making his full debut for the Reds, was sidelined for three months with a leg injury after a brutal challenge
from the Brazilian, who was sent off. Pickford avoided a red card for the challenge that ended Van Dijk’s season with a knee injury.
But Klopp said: “It was long ago, and a cool head is always important in football. We play football properly and we will need cool heads. We are still an emotional team but you have to use the emotion in the right way and that’s the plan.”
Not that Rafa Benitez is ready to take the heat off the situation.
The Everton manager believes his side will show aggression to get out of their alarming slump of just one win in 10 games. He said: “Every player has to show more character and aggression, and achieve results to make the fans happy. We will do what we have to do to get the three points. We have to show commitment and play with intensity.
“When you have a bad run you need character, personality and physicality.”
Klopp has no doubts
Van Dijk will handle that physicality a year on from the worst experience of his career.
“Virgil is very experienced and he’s always dealt with these situations where he has to be completely free of [anything] he could have in his mind because of one issue in the past,” said Klopp.
RAY KENNEDY TRIBUTE: PAGE 58
We are human so it is difficult to forget