Plus Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United might dip into short-term transfer market; Carragher hails Liverpool as ‘best team in the world’
Last Updated: 19/01/20 8:58pm
Jurgen Klopp insists “nothing has changed” despite Liverpool extending their lead at the top of the Premier League as fans sang “We’re gonna win the league”.
Liverpool closed in on a first Premier League title in 30 years on Super Sunday, beating Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield, meaning a 16-point lead and a game in hand over Manchester City, who drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
After Mo Salah’s second goal late on, fans at Anfield sang “We’re gonna win the league” for the first time this season, and though they believe the title is coming back to Merseyside, Klopp is refusing to get carried away.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s win over Manchester United in the Premier League
He said: “They can sing whatever they want, apart from my name, before the game is finished! I am not here to dictate what they have to sing. If our fans would not be in a good mood now, that would be really strange!
“What I can tell you is we are here to work, it’s as easy as that. Of course, it’s a very positive atmosphere, but I have to keep myself concentrated.
“We play on Thursday against Wolves, and to be honest I am only interested in that game and nothing else! Of course they are allowed to dream, free to sing whatever they want, as long as they do their job when we play. We will not be part of that party yet, but it’s no problem.”
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Jurgen Klopp said fans can sing what they want, but nothing has changed for his side
He also told Sky Sports: “They can sing that, but they sang that a couple of times in the past [in previous seasons], I think! It’s no problem. Everybody should celebrate a situation, apart from us [the team], but we have no problem with that! We have exactly the same situation plus three points. But nothing else changes. I will tell you in the moment when it feels different, but it feels exactly the same.
“I have no idea if we are to be caught or not, I don’t care. First and foremost it’s the Premier League. So in the Premier League we play Thursday at Wolves.
“Why should I think about things more than that? I am not smart enough to do that, to be honest, I’ve not enough space in my brain to think about different things!”
Sky Sports pundits hail Liverpool
Roy Keane: “You think of all the brilliant players and brilliant managers Liverpool have had over the last 30 years, they have just not gelled and they haven’t been able to get over the line. But this team will. They have great desire on top of all the skill they have. Van Dijk, my goodness what a player. A beast of a man, a beast of a player. He and the goalkeeper were the final touches.
“They have momentum, an outstanding manager, momentum – you worry for the rest of them. They are a brilliant football team.”
Graeme Souness: “For them not to win it, it would be the collapse of all collapses. But l don’t see it. They have a fabulous goalkeeper, a fabulous back-four, a workaholic midfield and three magicians up front.”
Jamie Carragher: “This is a phenomenal team. They are the best in the league, the best in Europe and the best in the world at the moment.”
Klopp: United played only a bit… and we went up a level
Klopp admitted that Manchester United made it difficult for his side, but noted they didn’t play too much football, and praised Liverpool for going up an extra level.
He told Sky Sports: “All the boys, what a performance again, against an opponent with the quality of United and set up of United. They want to annoy us, they want to distract our game, they want to defend, to counter attack and all of this.
“They had moment where they played football, not too often, but in all other times it is difficult to create chances, but we did it, wow! The manner in which we created chances was exceptional, we really went up a level tonight.
“The start of the second half was absolutely brutal, wow, we had three, four chances at least. We didn’t score. And as it often is, the opponent has the chance to come back.
“We defended with a lot of passion, big heart, and carried by a big atmosphere which is a big help. And then Alisson, what an assist, and Salah, what a goal!”
Solskjaer: We may dip into short-term market
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United may look into the short-term market in January
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted the club may need to look at short-term deals in the remainder of January, with Marcus Rashford injured for at least six weeks with a double stress fracture in his back.
“The players give you absolutely everything, when you miss Scott [McTominay], Paul [Pogba], Marcus, any team would notice that. That might mean that we look at some short-term deals to take us to the summer – it might not.
“The targets [for the season] are not going to change just because we’ve got two or three players injured for the next few months, but there might be some short-term deals that we have to do.
“Today is not about the transfer window, because we’ve just had a game against the best team in the country at the moment.”
He also told Sky Sports: “We’ve had many injuries on big players for us this season. Now Marcus, Antony [Martial] has been out for months, Paul has been out for more than half the season, Scott has been out for a while so it’s just an unfortunate situation we’re in. Because the window is open, we might look at some short-term deals as well and that could take us through to the summer.
“We’re not desperately [in need of a striker]. We’re looking at numbers as well because we have had many injuries so if the right one is there, it’ll fit for us and we can buy and if there are loans available, it might be possible but I’ve got players here as well who are chomping at the bit.”
What’s next?
Liverpool now go to Wolves in the Premier League at 8pm on Thursday night, before a trip to Shrewsbury in the FA Cup fourth round at 5pm on Sunday. Manchester United host Burnley on Wednesday at 8.15pm in the Premier League, before going to either Tranmere or Watford in the FA Cup fourth round at the weekend.
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