Manchester United players arrived at their Carrington headquarters on Friday as manager Louis van Gaal stepped up their preparations ahead of Sunday’s showdown against Liverpool.
Advertisement
But despite never being involved in the fixture before, Klopp is fully aware of the importance surrounding it. “On the streets I have had a lot of support but then I say to them we lost two points and two points is very important in this period because we have to win points”, he added.
The Sky Sports pundit, and former Liverpool defender, selected his team based on the best players available to both manager’s when everyone is fit. It is the salt in the soup.
Asked if it is the biggest game in England, van Gaal said: “That is how the fans see it and I have felt it four times already”.
“In recent times, we’ve done very well against them – obviously this year at Old Trafford and last season we’ve got very good results”, Smalling told MUTV.
Jurgen Klopp, a former adversary in the German Bundesliga, is now in charge of Liverpool and van Gaal expects another high-voltage encounter against United’s great rivals this weekend.
Both sides go into the game on the back of 3-3 draws – Liverpool against Arsenal and Manchester United against Newcastle. The stories around it I am not so interested in.
The 31-year-old midfielder was expected to return for their trip to Anfield on Sunday, but Van Gaal suggested that he is unsure whether Schweinsteiger will be able to regain complete fitness in order to make the matchday squad in two days’ time.
“As an opponent you have to respect this and work with the information”.
In September, United defeated Liverpool 3-1 at home, a game destined to be remembered for Anthony Martial’s unforgettable debut solo goal.
“In the next game coming up against United, we need to show more power defensively”. We need to be aggressive, but also under control in these kind of matches.
“If you don’t do the right thing in the moment, you have to run more”.
Advertisement
The “worried” Manchester United titan couldn’t hide his admiration for Klopp’s “fantastic personality”, sportsmanship, and track record at Borussia Dortmund. You can’t decide which games you want to win and which not; you have to take all the points you can. The good news for everyone is that it’s not one-on-one, Jurgen Klopp versus Louis van Gaal.
