Liverpool’s biggest cheerleader has launched a staunch defence of media-friendly Jurgen Klopp, while Man United are bidding over the odds.
Innocent before proven guilty
There is a degree of sycophancy we have come to expect from the Daily Mirror‘s Northern football correspondent when discussing all things Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.
This is the man, after all, who thought Darwin Nunez was sent off against Crystal Palace for the sin of turning around too quickly.
And it is not so long ago that David Maddock seemed to take defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League incredibly personally indeed.
So of course he describes the coach in 16th as ‘an intelligent man’ and ‘a student of management’, whose press conference before the defeat to Manchester United ‘was magnificently upbeat, his humour sparkling, and his engagement with the media audience endearing’.
He goes on to describe Klopp as ‘smart’, ‘clever’ and ‘considered’ in what seems like a rare case of a sort of reverse straw-man argument: is anyone genuinely suggesting otherwise? Are these traits worth painstakingly stressing with regards to a Premier League and Champions League-winning manager?
But bloody hell, this paragraph in particular:
‘The Liverpool manager may come across as almost an innocent when speaking to the media – either ‘ranting’ with emotion after a setback, or joking with what appears to be an unguarded, relaxed nature.’
Ask Des Kelly or pretty much anyone who doesn’t set Klopp up for a tap-in with a straightforward question whether he ‘may come across as almost an innocent when speaking to the media’. You might be surprised by the answer.
Small world
Also buried in that Daily Mirror article is this line:
‘Liverpool had 70 per cent possession at Old Trafford. Think about that. Manchester United playing like a small club, in terms of style and possession, but with quality players to hurt on the break.’
One man’s ‘playing like a small club’ is another’s ‘playing like a sensible club to win’.
Where’re you from, you sexy thing?
Oh and suggesting Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League in 2020/21 despite their injury problems in defence ‘was not far short of a miracle’ is brilliant.
They were four points off fourth place with 10 games remaining after losing to Fulham in March. They beat Wolves (13th), Arsenal (8th), Aston Villa (11th), Southampton (15th), Manchester United (2nd), West Brom (19th),…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…