Klopp reveals Wijnaldum’s forceful rallying cry before Tottenham win

Jurgen Klopp TEAMtalk

Jurgen Klopp has revealed Gini Wijnaldum’s rallying cry ahead of Liverpool’s midweek win over Tottenham.

After Klopp’s recent plea for his side to start games quickly, Wijnaldum was keen to enforce that at Anfield in midweek.

The previous 1-1 result at Fulham had seen the champions labour in the first half and go in at the break 1-0 down. After a half-time team talk though the Reds came out firing and forced a 1-1 draw.

And there was no repeat of the poor early showing at Anfield against Spurs as Mo Salah fired them ahead in a first half they dominated.

Klopp said: “Gini, before the Tottenham game in the dressing room, shouted to the dressing room: ‘Don’t waste the first-half!'”

Liverpool travel to south London on Saturday for a lunchtime kick-off against Crystal Palace. The 12.30pm kick-off is a fixture time that Klopp hates, but he says at least it is a level playing field this time.

Klopp said: “The main difference to our other 12.30s is that both teams have the same time to prepare.

“That’s not the problem. It’s just that between Wednesday night and Saturday it’s not much time to prepare. We will see who deals with it best.”

‘Everyone wants to beat us’

Klopp also addressed Liverpool’s away form after just one win on their travels this term.

 

 

“It’s a little bit about opponents away, and we were slightly unlucky in one or two games,” Klopp said.

“But outside is the truth. We haven’t won away a lot. We try to change these things and put a shift in.

“Playing the best possible football is always the plan home and away and tomorrow we try again.

“Since I am at Liverpool, my feeling is everyone wants to beat us.

“The great history of this club, not a lot of other teams fancy the great history of this club.

“Once at Newcastle it was like the World Cup final. I was like, ‘Wow, what’s going on here?’ The answer must be in the past.

“We just try to sort our own problems and try and get through it somehow.

“One small problem is we won last year and everyone wants to beat us.”

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