Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he hopes his club’s fierce rivals Everton remain in the Premier League as he enjoys the derbies.
The Reds take on the Toffees on Sunday in what is a crucial game in both halves of the table. Klopp’s side are just one point behind league leaders Manchester City – who could be four points ahead when Liverpool’s game kick-off as they take on Watford on Saturday.
Although a tough ask, the Reds are chasing the quadruple and closing the minuscule gap between themselves and City appears to be the biggest obstacle preventing them from achieving that feat. But on the other side of the coin, Everton are in the relegation battle and one point above the bottom three – with many speculating that Frank Lampard’s side are destined for the drop.
But Klopp hopes that isn’t the case despite the rivalry between the sides, he explained in his press conference: “These games have nothing to do with the table. It’s a great game and I honestly hope they stay in the league because the Merseyside derby should always be on the fixture list
“It’s always intense for me, at times too intense. We played a lot of derbies that I wouldn’t miss to be honest because they’re over the top.”
Even after Everton’s disappointing campaign, the opportunity to derail Liverpool’s chances of winning a historic quadruple whilst also moving clear of 17th-placed Burnley is a major incentive for the Goodison Park outfit. On paper, it appears that it is the Toffees, the Clarets and Leeds all battling it out to avoid playing Championship football next season.
Merseyside derbies are, obviously, always competitive. However, it is the fiery nature of these fixtures that have cost Liverpool in the long run.
Last season, Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara both suffered knee injuries at Goodison Park which kept them sidelined for weeks. And with Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final tie against Villarreal next week, it is crucial that Klopp has a full squad.
Speaking about the nature of the match against Everton, he said: “I love intensity in football, I love physicality in football, but just within the rule book, just make sure we all stick to that.
"Don't go over the top, like in the 'good old times'. We have suffered from these situations. I just want to have a very intense, physical and aggressive football game, but not more, because we play games after the derby as well."
Klopp then went on to speak of how his side didn’t think they would be in with a fighting shot of winning all four competitions this season, though their Carabao Cup penalty shootout success has kickstarted a flurry of major wins for the Anfield outfit. The former Borussia Dortmund boss said: “It's a situation we didn't expect to be in. We love being in this situation. It's incredibly tough - we play pretty much all the time. You cannot plan that you are still in everything.
“But we know there's nothing we have achieved so far, or not a lot. We won one competition, that's great, but there are three others to go. The boys are in a good moment but we have to prove it again on Sunday. We are looking forward to everything that's coming up."
