Boss: Why our style of play helps us
Liverpool’s expansive brand of football is about playing to the team’s strengths, rather than deliberately looking to entertain, Jürgen Klopp has explained.
The Reds ensured they remained level on points at the top of the Premier League table with Manchester City and Arsenal on Saturday with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Klopp’s side were simply irresistible in attack, particularly during the opening 45 minutes in London, and could have ended the afternoon with more than the four goals they struck against the Eagles.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the manager was asked whether he sent his team into fixtures consciously aiming to serve up thrilling contests.
“I don’t think about it, actually,” Klopp responded. “We don’t do it because we want to show something, we do it because this kind of football helps us, because we think the best kind of defending is keeping the ball.
“In our world, that’s how it is. As long as we have the ball, it’s quite logical, so it’s not about entertaining.
“Yes [it’s the most effective way]. When you have these boys it makes sense. That’s how it is. They are able to do it and that’s all what we think about.”
LFCTV GO: Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool in 90 seconds
Liverpool twice took the lead inside the opening half-hour against Palace, but efforts from Emre Can and Dejan Lovren were cancelled out by a James McArthur brace.
Nevertheless, Joel Matip’s thumping header before the break and Roberto Firmino’s sumptuous dink over Steve Mandanda secured victory for the visitors.
Klopp was pleased with how his players reacted to events that were unfolding in an incredible game, adding: “It is no guarantee for anything, so you need to start new in each game always, there are different things to do. At Crystal Palace, it was completely different to West Brom last week, even when a few things of course were similar.
“You have to react and use another space, and then stay in the game and stay really kind of angry when you feel really good.
“That’s another challenge, that was in the first 15 minutes which I didn’t really like, playing bam-bam-bam like this, making all these moves and not shooting or finishing, it makes not too much sense.
“We only do it because we think it helps.”