Klopp: We need Anfield to be at its very best on Saturday

[TLW]

Jurgen Klopp has put out the call to the Anfield faithful to be in full voice from the very first minute as Liverpool prepare to play Arsenal in a top of the table clash on Saturday evening.

 

The Reds warmed up for the fixture in fine style outclassing a West Ham outfit 5-1 to progress to the Carabao Cup semi final against Fulham.

 

While the performance on the pitch was 5-star, the manager was significantly less satisfied by what was occurring off it as ESPN reported.

 

“I thought it in the first half a little bit, when the boys played really exceptional, I was not overly happy. I have to say it now, with the atmosphere behind me. I asked people, 'What do you want?'

 

“So, we changed a lot of things, we dominate West Ham like crazy, we missed chances. If I would be in the stand, I would be on my toes, 1,000 percent."

 

The talking point of the atmosphere at Anfield has been bubbling away at various times, but seemed to come to a head on Sunday when the Reds played their arch rivals in Man United.

 

 

Klopp was not as focused about that as he was regarding the daunting challenge that lies ahead in a couple of days time.

 

“I don't know if the Man United game was that bad that we have to say, 'Oh sorry that we didn't smash them.

 

"We need Anfield on Saturday. Without Anfield, I would say...[Arsenal] didn't play this week...they prepared for this game and [those] who know a little bit about them, they will be prepared.

 

"So, we need Anfield on their toes from the first second -- without me having an argument with the opposition coach, whatever. We need you from the first second. If you really want, if it's too much football in December, I don't know, sorry, we have to play it as well. But if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else."

 

On an individual side, the manager was thrilled with the overall performance of the Player of the Match in Curtis Jones.

 

 

“He did even better [than he has in recent months], to be honest, because he added in his game the acceleration with the ball, which is really important. You cannot do that against each opponent, but there are some opponents where you can do it, when you pass the first line then you have to go with the ball.

 

“His second goal is now a crazy goal because you go pretty much towards the penalty spot from where he scored, that's pretty rare, but it's an important thing for him to do. Yes, it was a really good game. He looked super-fresh, which is probably not surprising because he didn't now play thousands of minutes in recent weeks. In general, the performance was just good."

 

 

View full article

[Kevin D]

One half-decent performance and he’s back to mouthing off in the press. 

[ZonkoVille77]

He has some cheek. 

[Mathewbet1]

They'll be spitting out their hot chocolate on the main stand in disgust at the mere mentioning of singing and giving your team encouragement, everyone knows your meant to sit their in silence and complain. Ha, Im in the Kop and has to be said 1/3 of the people just sit around complaining instead of singing these days, plus the increasing number of Norwegians (nothing against the Norwegians as they give great support in general) and day trippers in the kop dont know the songs,  get behind the team instead of moaning.

[Welsh]

If anyone isn't up for it this Saturday, I'll have your ticket. 

[Scott_M]

I thought he was specifically commenting on the Main Stand last night, he definitely turned round and gestured to them a couple of times. 
 

I thought the rest of the atmosphere was decent last night. 

[Curly]

Cunty as fuck all that if you ask me. There’s a way to evoke a response, and this isn’t it. Build a feeling of togetherness by criticising people who’ve spent hard earned cash on their tickets. Fuck off.

“If you really want, if it's too much football in December, I don't know, sorry, we have to play it as well. But if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else."

 

All this fucking hand waving and gesturing as well - the weekend against the man a Trent was at it. Do something to provoke excitement, not just demand it.

 

We’ve been here before with Klopp saying similar stuff. It’s bollocks.

[an tha]

It was ok last night...

 

Not great by any stretch but not bad.

 

There is a problem with the atmosphere at Anfield though - but it is very, very complex with no easy answers and frankly as much the clubs fault as anyones.

[Fowlers God]

16 minutes ago, Curly said:

Cunty as fuck all that if you ask me. There’s a way to evoke a response, and this isn’t it. Build a feeling of togetherness by criticising people who’ve spent hard earned cash on their tickets. Fuck off.

“If you really want, if it's too much football in December, I don't know, sorry, we have to play it as well. But if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else."

 

All this fucking hand waving and gesturing as well - the weekend against the man a Trent was at it. Do something to provoke excitement, not just demand it.

 

We’ve been here before with Klopp saying similar stuff. It’s bollocks.

Dunno; For me there are people that are blessed week in and week out that get to go to the game. There are thousands of us behind them wanting to go; Wanting to sing our hearts out and wanting to be part of that magic atmosphere. 

 

I see it more as of- You guys are lucky. You get to go. Now get behind the lads and lets ensure we win this and go top for christmas. The team are nothing without fans. 

[Curly]

46 minutes ago, Fowlers God said:

Dunno; For me there are people that are blessed week in and week out that get to go to the game. There are thousands of us behind them wanting to go; Wanting to sing our hearts out and wanting to be part of that magic atmosphere. 

 

I see it more as of- You guys are lucky. You get to go. Now get behind the lads and lets ensure we win this and go top for christmas. The team are nothing without fans. 

Yeah, I get the logic in what you say there mate. I’ve given up trying for tickets these days after I got booted off the season ticket waiting list having been on it since 2003, because I had moved house and didn’t send them my fiver to stay on the list. Cunts.
 

But the ones that are actually there are there because they paid to be there and jumped through whatever hoops they had to to get the tickets. Fucking grown men being told to behave a certain way by another grown man who seems to think he has the right to tell people to fuck off basically or up their game. It’s bollocks and he’s out of line for the way he’s said it, maybe not the message or request itself, but talking indirectly or directly to anyone, let alone your own fan base like that, is cunty.

[BeefStroganoff]

Not a good look for Jurgen.

 

Its just another in a long list of stuff killing the game.

[Moo]

Let's just get a manager who doesn't give a shit.

[Jairzinho]

2 minutes ago, Moo said:

Let's just get a manager who doesn't give a shit.

 

He's aiming his anger/annoyance at the wrong people.

[Section_31]

2 hours ago, Curly said:

Cunty as fuck all that if you ask me. There’s a way to evoke a response, and this isn’t it. Build a feeling of togetherness by criticising people who’ve spent hard earned cash on their tickets. Fuck off.

“If you really want, if it's too much football in December, I don't know, sorry, we have to play it as well. But if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else."

 

All this fucking hand waving and gesturing as well - the weekend against the man a Trent was at it. Do something to provoke excitement, not just demand it.

 

We’ve been here before with Klopp saying similar stuff. It’s bollocks.

 

Yeah it's one of the reasons I've never quite taken to Klopp the way I did Rafa and Houllier, I can't be doing with that aspect of things. Seen him bawling at fans a few times and moaning about what they sing.

 

The fans aren't allowed in for free, they don't owe anybody anything, they pay a fucking fortune for the privilege and get treated pretty poorly compared to other forms of entertainment (shite food, shite beer, queues, getting mouthed off at by stewards and booted out at the end quick smart). 

 

The atmosphere against the Mancs was shite because it was like watching a pensioner eat a ginger biscuit with no teeth.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

6 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

 

He's aiming his anger/annoyance at the wrong people.

 

Yea he should be telling us fans watching at home to sing at the TV louder IMO

 

Joking aside, I agree with what he's saying but the tone is off. The tone should be encouraging, not scolding.

[Bourbon]

STH in the Main for years, having been on the list since the mid-90's and shared a seat in the Centenary for cash upfront at the start of a season before then and he's right. 

 

Yes, he could have worded it kinder but he's ultimately right. 

 

We do have a huge ticket distribution and acquisition issue and ironically its the Europeans that aren't the issue in terms of atmosphere  - it seems to be the British nationals who seem to just sit hunched over, looking around, that very often dilute an organic sense of representing the City or getting behind the team. 
 

There's roughly 500,000 people in Liverpool and I'd say over 300,000 of them identify as Liverpudlians. How many would go if they could access an affordable ticket? How many are under 50 and would really help the atmosphere?

 

Probably a lot and we've been very successful on a fraction of them, with a fraction of the atmosphere that a fuller representation would imagine and that's even before you factor in the suburbs and hinterlands whom have a reasonable right to connect with Liverpool - Warrington, Saints, Southport regions etc. 

 

I've always wondered why the wirral bother with LFC but since Tranmere were relegated from the now Championship decades ago, we've a loyal and strong following there and loads are sound, right into it. 

 

But at the same time, I've never got to a game earlier than five to kick off, don't always even buy a pint at half time anymore, let alone have I ever bought anything from the stores - so the Club would say how the fuck do you demand us to pay these fee's and salaries if you're contributing the "bare minimum" of £880 ST prices. 

This all started back in the mid-80's and early inception of the Prem - it melded perfectly with privatisation hitting the city, the unemployment rates going up and lots of locals would only go to decent game as early as the turn of the 80's - just look at some of the capacities through the golden years. 

There's a lot of moving parts to it and in an ideal world they'd allocate over 50, 60, 70% of tickets to L-postcode applicants and the OOT contingent who'd bother outside of that would be hard-boiled and bringing it, really knowing the score. 

 

Its a shame that not every city or town has a decent football club worth falling in love with but what is great about the club, comes from what was great about the City - our City. 

 

I don't know how much of this he's aware of or even cares about, or matters - but every now and then seeing the footage back and its some middle aged fella from Market Dryaton sat hunched doing a peace sign whilst the team are going for it in a big quarter final, just makes us look like soulless, laughing stock dickheads - its such a shame as it could be so much better. 

 

*Gammons off into the middle distance*

[Section_31]

It's like the Keane/prawn sandwich spiel. All I remember of Keane off the pitch was him constantly fucking moaning about money. Well listen dickhead, guess who pays those wages? Not the lads from the factory and their kids. Not any more.

[Jairzinho]

26 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

 

Yea he should be telling us fans watching at home to sing at the TV louder IMO

 

Joking aside, I agree with what he's saying but the tone is off. The tone should be encouraging, not scolding.

 

As long as he leaves the likes of me and Tony following the game on Flashscores alone, he's free to dig out you TV clapping prawn sarnie eating cunts.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

19 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

 

As long as he leaves the likes of me and Tony following the game on Flashscores alone, he's free to dig out you TV clapping prawn sarnie eating cunts.

 

I can't eat during a match, guts are usually all over the place.

 

If he comes after the buckfast swilling brigade though I'll be calling for his head.

[coachpotato]

I get Klopp wants to have a loud and hostile atmosphere on Saturday against Arsenal. They are currently the best team in the league. They may not be top at the end of the season however, but for now, Klopp wants the kind of noise that can be worth the proverbial goal start and, like us, he wants them beat.

Didn’t Arteta play a recording of our crowd one time in their training games before one of our games because he felt the Anfield crowd had an adverse effect on his team?

Perhaps that’s what in Klopp’s mind.

Criticising the atmosphere last night is a bit off in my estimation, I thought given the opposition and the team we put out, the crowd made enough noise and the team responded by beating West Ham well. 
With another 7k in the ground you should expect the noise level to be greater, but it’s also the case that the crowd respond to the team as well, especially if they’re putting in a fighting performance and/or if the opposition are seen as main rivals, such as City, Arsenal, Everton etc.. Klopp will argue the team respond to the crowd no doubt, so he’s trying to be the catalyst that breaks the chicken/egg scenario before a ball is kicked I suspect. 
I don’t think there’s any doubt that the crowd dynamic has changed over decades, it’s likely less local, less working class and less inventive vocally than in its heyday, but there’s still the odd Barcelona/Chelsea/St Etienne “performance” lurking in there.

 

 

 

[Mook]

59 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

The fans aren't allowed in for free, they don't owe anybody anything, they pay a fucking fortune for the privilege and get treated pretty poorly compared to other forms of entertainment (shite food, shite beer, queues, getting mouthed off at by stewards and booted out at the end quick smart). 

 

This is absolutely it for me.

 

Maybe some of the millionaires at the club (like Klopp) could chip in to pay everyone to sing and shout a bit more?

 

As someone else said, the reasons for the shite atmosphere are complex and are not going away anytime soon.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Section_31 said:

 

Yeah it's one of the reasons I've never quite taken to Klopp the way I did Rafa and Houllier, I can't be doing with that aspect of things. Seen him bawling at fans a few times and moaning about what they sing.

 

The fans aren't allowed in for free, they don't owe anybody anything, they pay a fucking fortune for the privilege and get treated pretty poorly compared to other forms of entertainment (shite food, shite beer, queues, getting mouthed off at by stewards and booted out at the end quick smart). 

 

The atmosphere against the Mancs was shite because it was like watching a pensioner eat a ginger biscuit with no teeth.

Sounds like every live music event I've ever been to at a major arena. 

[El Rojo]

Storm in a tea-cup.

 

Like the rest of us, Klopp was just pissed off that his Endo yellow card bet didn’t pay out for once. 

[Jairzinho]

46 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

 

I can't eat during a match, guts are usually all over the place.

 

If he comes after the buckfast swilling brigade though I'll be calling for his head.

 

I'd be interested to hear his view on biscuits.

 

You have to assume being German he'll be a big fan of Leibniz biscuits. I'd lose quite a lot of respect for him if he wasn't.

[lifetime fan]

It’s called the Moan Stand for a reason.