Klopp annoyed by Neville claim as he makes Champions League vow for Liverpool Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has suggested Gary Neville and his fellow pundits are “mad” to suggest should accept a Champions League exit to help their push for Premier League glory. Since the start of the season there have been pundits who have said the Reds’ Premier League hopes would be best served by exiting Europe as soon as possible, with Sky Sports pundit Neville on two occasions claiming Liverpool would be wise to exit the competition and focus entirely on domestic matters. And, while Klopp admits defeat against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their goalless last-16 tie would not be the biggest surprise in the competition’s history, his side will not go into the game thinking of the benefits such a result could bring. “They (pundits) talk constantly. It doesn’t mean they make more sense because of that. That’s the problem,” said a rather pained Reds boss at the suggestion Liverpool would benefit by crashing out. “I really don’t think that any other coach or manager in the world has to answer this question when he plays in the Champions League. “It’s really unique. It only happens if you are the Liverpool manager and the pundits come from Manchester United and start these things. “It is so easy to sit in an office or a studio and talk about things like that. “We don’t draw up a season and say the best way to go through it is to go out of all the cup competitions early. “You do that and in that moment the same people go for you like mad. “Now it is closer to the end of the season and it is allowed to go out of the Champions League without even trying to go through? That’s really mad. “I am not angry about it. It’s just so mad that I constantly get confronted by it.” Liverpool will be without Naby Keita in the match, though both Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner have been passed fit and are included in the 21-man travelling party. Klopp stressed Liverpool, who reached the final last season and are second in the Premier League, just a point behind Manchester City, want to prove they a “proper threat” in the competition. “We play proper, real football and we try to win every game,” he added. “The only thing I would say is that if we go out, maybe the fans won’t be exceptionally angry – ‘How can that happen?’ – because we still have a chance with the league. “But I don’t think they will think before the game, ‘I hope we go out’. It is not that the players prefer the Champions League to winning the league. “We still want to prove our value again in Europe. I think that is really important for the club that we really show we are a proper threat in that competition.” Get the latest personalised Reds products on our new TEAMtalk Liverpool shop! The post Klopp annoyed by Neville claim as he makes Champions League vow for Liverpool appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has suggested Gary Neville and his fellow pundits are “mad” to suggest should accept a Champions League exit to help their push for Premier League glory.

Since the start of the season there have been pundits who have said the Reds’ Premier League hopes would be best served by exiting Europe as soon as possible, with Sky Sports pundit Neville on two occasions claiming Liverpool would be wise to exit the competition and focus entirely on domestic matters.

And, while Klopp admits defeat against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their goalless last-16 tie would not be the biggest surprise in the competition’s history, his side will not go into the game thinking of the benefits such a result could bring.

“They (pundits) talk constantly. It doesn’t mean they make more sense because of that. That’s the problem,” said a rather pained Reds boss at the suggestion Liverpool would benefit by crashing out.

“I really don’t think that any other coach or manager in the world has to answer this question when he plays in the Champions League.

“It’s really unique. It only happens if you are the Liverpool manager and the pundits come from Manchester United and start these things.

“It is so easy to sit in an office or a studio and talk about things like that.

“We don’t draw up a season and say the best way to go through it is to go out of all the cup competitions early.

“You do that and in that moment the same people go for you like mad.

“Now it is closer to the end of the season and it is allowed to go out of the Champions League without even trying to go through? That’s really mad.

“I am not angry about it. It’s just so mad that I constantly get confronted by it.”

Liverpool will be without Naby Keita in the match, though both Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner have been passed fit and are included in the 21-man travelling party.

Klopp stressed Liverpool, who reached the final last season and are second in the Premier League, just a point behind Manchester City, want to prove they a “proper threat” in the competition.

“We play proper, real football and we try to win every game,” he added.

“The only thing I would say is that if we go out, maybe the fans won’t be exceptionally angry – ‘How can that happen?’ – because we still have a chance with the league.

“But I don’t think they will think before the game, ‘I hope we go out’. It is not that the players prefer the Champions League to winning the league.

“We still want to prove our value again in Europe. I think that is really important for the club that we really show we are a proper threat in that competition.”

 

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The post Klopp annoyed by Neville claim as he makes Champions League vow for Liverpool appeared first on teamtalk.com.

James Marshment