Klopp Talk: Everton Are “a Different Cup of Tea” This Year

The manager says he won’t have to do anything special to get his players focused on Everton after Wednesday’s disappointment.

Liverpool lost to Paris Saint-Germain. They played poorly and deserved to, even if the referee and PSG’s theatrics had Liverpool’s fans, players, and manager annoyed. But that, now, is the past. What matters is what comes next.

What matters is how Liverpool react. And, when it comes to that, it probably doesn’t hurt their next opponents are local rivals Everton, who look as strong as they have in recent memory and will want to add to the Reds’ misery this week.

“Come on, it’s a derby,” said manager Jürgen Klopp when asked how he would get his players to react to Wednesday night’s disappointment in Paris. “We don’t have to show a reaction. If we [beat PSG] 5-0 it would be the same.

“This game, it is isolated from the season. It’s a derby, it’s at home. Everton are doing really well this season, so they are a different cup of tea to the last three years and we will have to be 100% spot on for a tough game.”

This year, Everton are sixth, and while the top four is probably out of reach for them, a finish that gets them into the Europa league is a very achievable target for the Blues, who have excelled under new manager Marco Silva.

Everton haven’t beaten Liverpool since 2010 and haven’t won at Anfield since 1999, while Klopp’s own record stands at four wins and two draws. Their fans will be feeling that they’re long overdue—and that this year might be their best chance.

“It’s not about showing a reaction,” Klopp added. “It’s about carrying on—go, go, go in the league, win your home games, win your away games. That’s it. On Sunday we will be ready. It’s not about what I say here, it’s what we show there.”

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com