Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said his relationship with Manchester United interim head coach Ralph Rannick is “on hold” ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash between the two clubs.
The two managers faced each other during their stay in the Bundesliga and Rangnik influenced Klopp and other contemporary German coaches with their counter pressing tactical style.
– Weekend Review: Can Liverpool really win the top four? – Which Premier League clubs will qualify for Europe? Get instant access
Before Rangnik moved to Old Trafford, Klopp praised United for hiring an “outstanding” coach, but the Liverpool manager said he had not been able to contact him regularly since moving to England.
“My relationship with Ralph Rangnik is pending,” Klopp told a news conference Monday. “I haven’t spoken to him since he was in England out of respect, but you can see the changes he has made there and the parts he has improved.
“When I prepare for the United match, I don’t think about Ralph, but about preparing for the team.”
Jurgen Klopp said Tuesday’s match against Manchester United would be tense. Photo by Andrew Powell / Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool can overtake Manchester City in first place in the Premier League table with a victory over United at Anfield.
Klopp’s team entered the match with momentum after beating Benfica last week to secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals, while retaining their place in the FA Cup final with an exciting 3-2 victory over City on Saturday.
Liverpool showed a stunning game and defeated United 5-0 in the return match in October at Old Trafford, but Klopp warned that United is still a dangerous team.
“Manchester United, which we will face, they will do,” he added. “They want to go to the Champions League. They will be tense for 90 minutes. This time again it is an incredibly important match for both teams. That says it all. Both teams are fighting.”
Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick in this memorable match at United, but failed to score for Liverpool in an open game in February, but Klopp is not worried about the form of the striker.
“It’s a perfectly normal spell he goes through,” he said. “We talked about physical requirements. I liked the game against [Manchester] City a lot, it was a really good football game, just a matter of time before he scored again. It has been close enough several times.
“We had a lot of conversations during the time we worked together, and at this particular point we don’t need to talk about the situation, just the normal things about what he has to do in the game and all that.”
Add Comment