Jurgen Klopp hails virtues of Europa League
The German took the strongest squad available to him to Russia for Thursday’s 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan — a significant contrast from predecessor Brendan Rodgers who left six senior players behind for his only away game in Europe this season in Bordeaux.
Many managers of British clubs view the second-tier competition with some disdain, fielding weakened sides of fringe players and youth-teamers, as they feel playing Thursday-Sunday affects performances in the Premier League.
Klopp is not of the same persuasion and suggested the reason many dislike the competition comes down to snobbery.
“I don’t need my team at 4am Friday morning (the time Liverpool arrived back from the 2,200-mile return flight),” he said.
“The difference is not too big. If you play Champions League, you are playing Wednesday and Saturday. Where is the difference (with Thursday and Sunday)?
“Is the only benefit that you like the other tournament (Champions League) more?
“If you play Champions League, you play Wednesday-Saturday. Nobody says ‘Go to Real Madrid with 17-year-old guys!’ – that is not fair for them.
“They get experience but not the experience they should.
“What would you have said if we had gone there (Kazan) with a youth team?
“The Europa League is a great tournament.”
Victory over Rubin — secured courtesy of Jordon Ibe — was a third win in a row in three different competitions for Klopp and there is a real feeling among fans they are just starting to get on a roll ahead of tomorrow’s home game with Crystal Palace.
Klopp, however, insists there is a long way still to go.
“I don’t believe in transformation in a short period. This is a short time to be working together. Four weeks. I don’t know. Six games?” he said.
“We have a common experience and we can work with this.
“The best training at the moment is our matches. It is very intensive. It is good for physical condition and it is good to talk about after games.
“Until now I haven’t spoken to all players one-on-one.
“I have spoken to some of them, yes, and Jordon was one of them but it was not in my office — we don’t have the time. It was on the pitch. There we can talk.”
Meanwhile, Palace boss Alan Pardew has identified Philippe Coutinho as Liverpool’s main threat.
Pardew said: “Coutinho is probably, at the moment, their best player, in terms of the level he’s at.
“And I don’t think anyone in the Premier League would disagree that he’s been in the top five players offensively this year, so he’s somebody we need to take care of.”
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