Though Jurgen Klopp sometimes oversteps the mark in press conferences, there’s no grey area where the Liverpool manager is concerned.
He says it as he sees it, and that’s a quality to be admired.
Far too often media trained managers or players toe the party line and give bland and rehearsed responses to questions, however awkward.
Klopp’s authenticity shines through, and even if what he has to say isn’t necessarily agreed with, he has to be respected for his views.
Most recently, he took the Anfield crowd to task after the Carabao Cup tie against West Ham, which Liverpool won 5-1.
So incensed was he at a lack of atmosphere, that he effectively told supporters if they weren’t going to be behind their team in the next match against Arsenal, to give their ticket to someone else.
? "Give your ticket to somebody else".
Jurgen Klopp said he was "not overly happy" with the atmosphere at Anfield during Liverpool's 5-1 EFL Cup win over West Ham. ?#BBCFootball #LFC pic.twitter.com/MLChUSjz8f
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 21, 2023
That’s bound to have put a few noses out of joint, but former player turned pundit, Chris Sutton, believes the German is spot on.
“Jurgen Klopp is quite right to moan about the crowd if that’s the way he feels,” he said on the It’s All Kicking Off podcast, cited by the Daily Mail.
“[…] In fairness to Jurgen Klopp, he would be the best judge and would have understood and known the crowd and also realised the impact of his words, which it should have on the crowd.
“And if he said it, it’s because he feels it. It’s an enormous game at the weekend. They need the crowd with them. Anfield is famous for the atmosphere or has been famous for the atmosphere and they need to go again at the weekend.”
When the teams step out on the pitch at the weekend, let’s see if the noise that greets them before, during and after the match is to Klopp’s liking.