Interviewing Jurgen Klopp has become a far less enviable task in recent years, especially when early Saturday kick-offs are mentioned.
The Liverpool manager has taken issue with his side’s scheduling repeatedly during the past few seasons, but after a 2-0 win over Sheffield United last week, it wasn’t even him that brought it up.
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Klopp wasn’t happy with Marcus Buckland’s line of questioningCredit: Amazon
Instead, Amazon presenter Marcus Buckland made a joke about the upcoming 12:30pm start against Crystal Palace last Saturday, saying it was Klopp’s ‘favourite kick-off time’.
The Reds boss instantly bit at the presenter, saying he was ‘brave’ to make a joke about it, before calling him ‘disrespectful’ and ‘ignorant’.
Buckland isn’t the first to experience Klopp’s fury post-match though; Des Kelly had the most heated of debates with the German in November 2020.
The two famously clashed when Klopp congratulated Kelly for a James Milner injury whilst blaming BT Sport’s (now TNT Sports) scheduling.
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Kelly stood his ground, though, making sure to point out that BT were working within the Premier League’s guidelines, which the clubs vote upon.
Having been deemed to have dealt with the situation well, Kelly was asked what advice he would give to Buckland while speaking to talkSPORT.
“I wouldn’t apologise,” Kelly began. “Klopp said ‘you’re being disrespectful’ Buckland said ‘I didn’t mean it, I apologise’.
“I wouldn’t [apologise] you just explain, you don’t say sorry if you’re having a row with Klopp, you explain why you said it.
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Kelly challenged Klopp in 2020 and quickly went viralCredit: BT Sport (now TNT Sports)
“Marcus was being sarcastic, he’s a very serious and professional presenter but he was being sarcastic. It’s not funny for him [Klopp], he sees it as a handicap.”
Liverpool have been handed the early Saturday kick-off a disproportionate number of times since Klopp’s arrival in 2015, being given it directly after international breaks on 15 occasions, nine more than any other team.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp takes issue with broadcaster’s comment about 12.30pm Premier League kick offs
So when it was put to Kelly that Klopp may have been trying a Alex Ferguson-style power-play with the media, the presenter was keen to clarify that the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager’s anger isn’t for show.
“No, it genuinely irks him that he has to do the 12:30,” Kelly said. “The broadcaster picks Liverpool because they’re the best box office team that’s available in that slot.
“Sky have their choice and then Liverpool, if they’re available, you’re going to take them, and that drives him crazy.
“The argument is that the Premier League made their own rules and they can change it if they want to, and they have changed it to a certain extent but he still gets the early kick-off, so you’re treading in a minefield.
Liverpool and Manchester City may be staging somewhat of a modern day rivalry, but that hasn’t stopped Trent Alexander-Arnold heaping praise on an opponent.
The Reds and the Sky Blues have contested three of the past five Premier League titles and gone head-to-head in the cups too, increasing animosity in the northwest.
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Alexander-Arnold is happy to look far and wide for inspirationCredit: Getty
In the league, City have twice pipped Liverpool to the title by a single point, but that annoyance hasn’t stopped Alexander-Arnold learning from their games.
The Scouse right-back has long been one of the games best playmakers, even from defence, but his role has changed recently, seeing him move more into midfield.
For England he now plays solely in the middle of the park, but at his club, the new ‘hybrid’ position has been inspired by one of his City rivals.
Speaking to the media ahead of England’s final Euro 2024 qualifiers, Alexander-Arnold said: “I think as someone who plays the inverted, hybrid role – I don’t know what people call it these days – then it is obviously John Stones.
“For a long time, I have admired his game. He is exceptional, so I watch him a lot; clips or even when I am just watching [Manchester] City’s games, I will sit and focus on him.”
Alexander-Arnold also discussed his other midfield inspirations, with his game increasingly coming higher up the pitch.
“I do admire the way Rodri plays,” he continued. “He is pivotal in that team and massively underrated but, like we have seen recently, when you take him out of the team, they are not the same. That just shows how important he is.
“I will watch players from the past as well – [Sergio] Busquets, [Xabi] Alonso, Pirlo, Stevie G [Gerrard].”
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Alexander-Arnold loves what Stones is doingCredit: Getty
Ryan Gravenberch has explained why he couldn’t contain his laughter when Jurgen Klopp was seen rubbing his chin.
The Liverpool midfielder, who joined this summer in a £34.2million move from Bayern Munich, has already won over fans with his silky play in the middle of the park.
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Klopp is loving Gravenberch and particularly his chinCredit: Getty
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Gravenberch cracked up remembering the momentCredit: Sky Sports
With two goals and an assist in seven games, the Dutchman is showcasing his talent, but mainly from the bench as he learns to settle in.
One of his cameos came during a 3-1 win over West Ham where he played the final 13 minutes and Klopp was seen giving his latest signing a pep talk.
The German coach is often seen showing his players love on the touchline with a hug, but he then grabbed Gravenberch’s perfectly crafted goatee.
The 21-year-old was seen cracking up moments later, and has now explained why.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the clip, he said: “I saw it went viral!
“He did it but Curtis [Jones] came to the side and I was laughing to Curtis.
“If you saw the video he did this [gestures rubbing his chin] and then I laughed about that but I was laughing to Curtis, that’s why.”
Gravenberch only lasted a single season at Bayern after his highly-anticipated move from Ajax, and it looks like Liverpool may have pulled off a coup for a player who had his path in Munich blocked.
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Klopp grabbed the midfielder’s chinCredit: PLP
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He could only laughCredit: PLP
Klopp worked hard to sign the midfielder, only getting a deal over the line on deadline day, but Gravenberch was already keen to join the Champions League and Premier League-winning manager.
“I spoke with the coach and he gave me a good feeling,” the youngster explained.
“He said to me ‘I want you’ and he gave me his plans and explained everything and gave me such a good feeling that my decision was such a fast one.”
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Jurgen Klopp might be set for another awkward interview after learning about Liverpool’s latest early kick-off.
The Reds face Manchester City on November 25 at the Etihad in one of the Premier League’s most anticipated fixtures.
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Klopp won’t be happy with Liverpool’s rescheduled kick-off time vs CityCredit: getty
Originally scheduled for 3pm, the game was always guaranteed to be moved to a television slot due to the scale of the fixture.
However, Klopp will be livid to learn it’s been moved to the 12:30pm block on the calendar, the earliest kick-off of the weekend, unless there is a Friday night game.
It had been thought that it would take place at 5.30pm, but a local safety advisory group has veteod the timing.
That is due to several fan issues between the two clubs in the past, with Arsenal’s trip to Brentford to now take place at that time instead.
To make matters worse, it comes after an international break in the fixtures, meaning Klopp’s players will be arriving back to training late from all over the globe before having to adjust for Saturday morning.
As evidence to why the scheduling has bothered him so much in the past, Klopp’s Liverpool have a dire record in the 12:30pm Saturday spot, at least by their standards.
Klopp won four and lost three of the games during the 2015/16 season, and things got worse in the following campaign.
In 2017/18 Liverpool won just one of eight early Saturday kick-offs, and the 2021/22 campaign was the only anomaly where the Reds won all four of their early starts, but things were again terrible last term.
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Klopp and Guardiola have enjoyed many famous battles against each other in the pastCredit: AFP
On top of his side’s appalling record in the fixtures, the volume of them will also provoke his ire, with the upcoming City game being the 14th directly after an international break since the German took over in 2015.
That’s a whopping eight more than any other side, and Klopp explained the problem earlier this summer.
He said: “It’s not a problem if you have a week [to prepare]. The problem is the lack of recovery time.
“We have four international breaks until March. Two of them we have 12.30 kick offs. This is a joke. We had players in South America!
“The TV channel has a different name [TNT Sports, FKA BT Sport] but nothing changes at all, they don’t give a…. about it.”
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Liverpool fans were left with an anxious few weeks in September when the Saudi Pro League was chasing Mohamed Salah.
However, according to one of their former players, losing the star forward won’t be the end of the world.
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Salah was a wanted man at the end of the transfer windowCredit: Getty
Now 31, but legitimately one of the Reds greatest-ever players, there was little argument to sell the Egyptian with no time to replace him this summer, but that could well change.
With a reported £150million rejected from Al Ittihad, there were understandably doubts whether Jurgen Klopp could survive without arguably the most important player of his career.
Former Red Stephen Warnock, is convinced he can, telling talkSPORT as much on Monday.
“Everyone’s replaceable,” he began. “I’ve said it about [Luis] Suarez, I’ve said it about [Philippe] Coutinho, and he [Salah] will be replaceable in time.
“I think the big problem is with Salah if you get a £175million offer from Saudi Arabia that’s difficult to say no to.
“I wouldn’t sell him in January but maybe next season, but only if you’ve got someone else lined up.”
Who could that be? Well, Warnock has again been looking to Serie A, where Liverpool had so much success bringing Salah over from Roma in 2016.
“You’d have to have someone exciting lined up, the one player that springs to mind is [Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia,” he said.
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Kvaratskhelia was unstoppable last season as he helped Napoli to Serie A gloryCredit: AFP
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His brilliance has seen him get dubbed Kvara-dona after the football icon Diego MaradonaCredit: Getty
“He’s the one player you look at where you think he’s young and has potential and can play, but he’s a left-sided player, could he play on the right?
“Dominik Szoboszlai, that’s where he played at RB Leipzig, will he play further up if Salah goes?
“The scouting network will be out now knowing Salah’s getting to that point, but the big thing for Liverpool too is the commercial aspect.
“He gets bums on seats and you walk around Anfield seeing all the scarves and shirts from Egypt and Africa, and the number shirts he sells everywhere around the world is phenomenal.”
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They may have created history together by winning the 2022 World Cup, but there’s no love lost between Alexis Mac Allister and Cristian Romero.
The pair faced off as Tottenham beat Liverpool 2-1 in extremely controversial circumstances.
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Diaz’s offside goal prompted an apology from the PGMOLCredit: Sky Sports
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But Romero was too busy celebrating to careCredit: Getty
Two red card decisions triggered plenty of debate, and the PGMOL later admitted ‘significant human error’ that stopped Liverpool from taking an early lead through Luis Diaz.
It looked like the Reds were going to hold on to a hard-earned point, but then Joel Matip scored a decisive last minute own goal, something which his teammate Mac Allister didn’t take very well.
Romero was part of an iconic pile-up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after sealing a huge three points to go second in the table, and posted an image of the moment along with the caption: “This team has great spirit, great heart. always like this, all together @spursofficial.”
Surprisingly, one of the first to comment on the post was his Argentina teammate Mac Allister, who added: “Normal when you play with 12.”
The joke was seemingly a jibe at referee Simon Hooper’s performance, and may well drop the former Brighton man in hot water.
Before that, though, he’ll have to dry himself off from a rinsing from Romero who quickly replied: “Go cry at home.”
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Things got awkward on Instagram
The pair may well have just been joking after becoming legends together at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but if not, things may well be awkward during the next international break…
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Liverpool were dealt even more bad news after their controversial 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.
The Reds were losers for the first time in 19 games, dating back to last season, and things could have been very different.
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Gakpo was in pain as soon as his shot hit the netCredit: Getty
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He hit the deck and then sat out the second halfCredit: Getty
Finishing the game with nine men after two red cards that caused much debate, the PGMOL later apologised for human error which led to Luis Diaz’s opener incorrectly being called offside.
Their scorer on the day, Dutch forward Cody Gakpo, was again a bright spark in an otherwise disappointing match, but signs from after the game weren’t positive.
Gakpo hit the ground after his first half equaliser, and then hobbled towards the touchline before failing to emerge for the second period.
And post-match Reds fans got the update they were hoping to avoid, with reporters present at the game saying the former PSV man had been put in a knee brace.
Manager Jurgen Klopp then revealed the gravity of the situation, saying: “The biggest problem of the game, to be honest… before Cody Gakpo scored, we got a free-kick and he got injured and he is now with a brace limping down the corridor.
“That’s my biggest problem, to be honest, in this moment. We lost two [to red cards] and maybe a third player – really bad, really bad. So, yes, that’s something we have to deal with obviously.”
With three goals already this season, Gakpo has picked up where he left off last campaign, but he could now be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Replacing him in the line up would likely be striker Darwin Nunez, who showed how much he wants to star for Liverpool this season.
An unused substitute in the match after picking up a knock in training, Nunez made his way over to the away end at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium post-match.
Thumping the liver bird on his chest and gesturing at the fans, he received huge cheers from the travelling support, who will be boosted by the positive mentality after a tough defeat.
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Nunez was pumping his chest at the crowdCredit: @asim_lfc
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He showed the kind of passion that will give supporters confidence for upcoming gamesCredit: @asim_lfc
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Liverpool have agreed a £34million fee to sign Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, talkSPORT understands.
The Dutch midfielder is expected to put pen to paper on a five-year deal at Anfield before the transfer window closes on Friday.
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Bayern have agreed a fee for Gravenberch with LiverpoolCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Gravenberch had already agreed terms with the Reds and was keen on the move after failing to settle in Munich.
The 21-year-old joined the Bundesliga giants from Ajax last summer in a £16m deal to much fanfare, but started only six matches, with his other 28 appearances coming from the bench.
That is unlikely to be the case at Liverpool, though, with Jurgen Klopp constructing an extensive midfield overhaul during the summer transfer window.
Stalwarts Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner all departed, with Alexis Mac Allister arriving from Brighton, Dominik Szoboszlai from Leipzig, and Wataru Endo from Stuttgart.
Endo is now the team’s only specialised defensive midfielder, but Gravenberch can also fill the role, though he is more adapt at playing an attacking role in the middle of the pitch.
Gravenberch will become Liverpool’s fourth signing of the season, with all four arrivals coming in midfield.
The deal could spell bad news for Fulham, though, with Bayern hotly pursuing their star defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha.
talkSPORT understands that Fulham have asked for £80m for the Portuguese international before the close of the window, amid an approach from the German side.
Fulham have identified PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare and Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana as potential targets if Palhinha does leave the club.
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Not much is left from Liverpool’s relatively terrible pre-Jurgen Klopp period, and Jordan Henderson has now made it a distant memory.
The last remnant in the squad from the Brendan Rodgers and Sir Kenny Dalglish periods, Henderson spanned three managers and 117 different teammates, only to leave early at the age of 33.
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Not much was hoped from Henderson when he took over from Steven Gerrard as captainCredit: getty
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But he went on to win it allCredit: AFP or licensors
In a now rather awkwardly-named club documentary ‘Jordan Henderson is Never Done’ the midfielder’s teammates and manager praised the leadership of a captain that won it all.
Now though, thanks to the riches of Saudi Arabia and Al Ettifaq FC, Henderson is done far earlier than expected, stepping away from top level football at a club he helped return there.
Arriving in 2011 from boyhood side Sunderland, Henderson showed plenty of grit as an energetic right winger doing laps up and down the wing, but not much more. Eventually, he matured into the spirit of Klopp’s Liverpool team
His pathway was never straightforward, though, having to grow up in the shadow of Reds legend Steven Gerrard – who will be his new manager in the Middle East – and taking his captain’s armband in 2015.
He eventually did what Gerrard never could and lifted the Premier League title in 2020, a year on from taking the Champions League and sobbing uncontrollably at the scale of the achievement in Madrid.
A tattoo of the European Cup accompanied his success, as did the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and in 2021/22 he completed the set.
Winning the FA Cup against Chelsea, Henderson lifted all seven trophies on offer as Reds captain, and forever cemented his name in not just Liverpool’s, but football’s history books.
And that all came despite an unusual running style putting a black mark next to his name for Sir Alex Ferguson.
The legendary Manchester United manager recalled in 2021: “We were ready to make a bid for Jordan Henderson at Sunderland. I spoke to Steve Bruce and he loved the guy,
“And then our medical department said they were not happy with his running style – he could be the type to have injuries.
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There were questions over Henderson, which he went on to quashCredit: Getty
“I must say it was one of my bits of management to make sure the player is always available. If you sign a player and he is not available for you, it is a waste of time so that is the point I have to make about Jordan.
“We loved him as a player and he has proved that now, he has been fantastic and all the stories I am being told, it tells me I missed out on a really good person.”
Being a good person was part of Henderson’s leadership qualities that marked him out from the rest, as he was known for picking up new signings who were yet to even speak English, taking them to training to help with integration.
During the COVID-19 pandemic he was credited with setting up the ‘Players Together’ intuitive among Premier League captains, encouraging players to donate wages to the NHS while politicians attempted to use footballers’ salaries as an easy deflection tactic.
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Henderson was rewarded for his services to chartiyCredit: @jordanhenderson
The act earned him an MBE for his services to charity, and plaudits across the world of football, as even the biggest detractors of his footballing ability could no longer argue that he wasn’t an exceptional leader on the pitch, but off it too.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he showed his continued support for those who have come under persecution, giving his support to a member of the LGBTQ+ community on social media, and he also expressed his admiration for the Rainbow Laces campaign.
A year earlier In 2021 he said: “Before I’m a footballer, I’m a parent, a husband, a son, a brother and a friend to the people in my life who matter so much to me.
“The idea that any of them would feel excluded from playing or attending a football match, simply for being and identifying as who they are, blows my mind.
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Henderson’s move to Saudi would be a huge blow to the LGBTQ+ community he professes to support
“The idea they’d have to hide from it to be accepted? But that’s exactly how too many members of the LGBT+ community feel.
“We know this because they tell us. So we should listen, support them and work to make it better.”
Now, though, Henderson is to play his trade in a country in Saudi Arabia where sentences for homosexual acts include the death penalty.
Liverpool’s official LGBTQ+ fan group Kops Out have expressed their fear over the move saying that they hope Henderson, ‘proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of’.
A farewell video from the midfielder attempted to highlight his highs at Anfield, but it was largely flooded by comments from those despairing at money over morals.
And with a £700,000-per-week salary signed-off on, it appears even the best can be turned, and that if they weren’t already, the floodgates for Saudi’s football takeover are well and truly open.
