Klopp: We'll be ready if Guardiola mixes it up
Past experience of coming up against Pep Guardiola means Jürgen Klopp is prepared for all tactical eventualities ahead of Manchester City’s visit to Anfield tomorrow evening.
Liverpool welcome City to L4 for their final game of 2016 with just a point separating the sides in the Premier League table.
The second-placed Reds and City, who sit third in the standings, are the division’s top two teams this season in terms of passes and average possession, and Guardiola’s reputation as a coach who prizes control of the ball above all else is something he has carried since his days with Barcelona.
But Liverpool boss Klopp, who competed with the Spaniard during their respective tenures at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, is well aware of his opposite number’s willingness to mix his tactics up.
“Bayern changed their style of play against us a few times, not always, but a few times,” Klopp said.
“A clear philosophy does not mean that you stick to it in every moment. If you have to adapt to your opponent, then that is what we all do.
“The public view on it was that they were pretty direct, that’s true. Manuel Neuer is good with the ball so the first ball was long but after winning second ball they played football and didn’t shoot the second ball immediately in the same direction again.
“The style of the game isn’t everything. It is kind of important but in the end you only want to get your players looking forward with the ball. How you do it is not important.
“It is not about having 20 passes - if you have to play a long ball that is good and fighting for a second ball is good too. Then you want to have influence with the ball.
“It is not a big difference between the ideas but when you look from the outside there is an image that Pep is kind of possession and I am kind of counter-pressing.
“I don’t need names for things. We play the football we think that makes sense and Pep does the same with his team and his ideas. I never thought too much about the ideas of other managers - only until before the game when we played them.”
http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/248407-klopp-we-ll-be-ready-if-guardiola-mixes-it-up