You don’t normally hear football managers talking about their predecessors, but Jurgen Klopp isn’t a normal manager – despite what he says.
The candid German commented on the condition of his players ahead of Liverpool’s match against Crystal Palace, offering some words of praise for Brendan Rodgers.
“I didn’t have to teach the players how to play football,” said Klopp. “Brendan’s work had done that.”Klopp also dismissed concerns about fatigue following the Reds’ trip to Russia in midweek, where they left with a 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan.
“I don’t believe that it’s an issue. It’s about how you feel,” he said.
“Of course it’s better if you don’t play midweek, but it’s only an advantage for Palace if we are not prepared to fight. If we wait for an easy game against Palace then we have no chance.”
“But if we fight and try to find solutions, we can do it. We are fit, we are healthy, young, and we can do it.”