Liverpool manager during a conference on Liverpool TV revealed plans they will deploy to stop Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during Sunday’s blockbuster encounter at Anfield. Liverpool, who are currently having a rollercoaster campaign this season, will host English Premier League defending champions. Jürgen has revealed that his side will ensure the Norwegian doesn’t get much of the ball.
Liverpool, who will try to avoid a loss to City on Sunday, will be 16 points adrift of the Citizen should that happen.
On whether ‘there’s a concern about conceding the first goal and if there are any ‘special plans’ for Erling Haaland…
So, the first goal conceded, is it a concern? Look at the situation, we played fantastic football in the early stages of the [Rangers] game and At this moment where we lose the ball, at the moment where every team in the world opens up the pitch at the moment when you start playing, and that’s what we did. We lost the ball in a moment where we were not compact because we couldn’t be compact, and two passes later, Arfield is alone in front of the goal. So, these things can happen unfortunately if you lose the ball at the wrong moment and that’s what happened there.
Special plans against Haaland? Like always, obviously when you play against, definitely at the moment, the best striker in the world, you have to make sure that he doesn’t get that many balls – and that’s what you have to defend before you come into the challenge with him, so that’s what we will try. But against City obviously, the problem is that if you close Haaland down with too many players then you open up gaps for all the other world-class players, so that will not make life easier. But it’s a challenge, it’s a football concern, and we try to find solutions.
On facing Man City…
Look, when you play City, results left and right are not essential because this game requires all your focus, requires all the things you know about football. It’s everything. I said it a couple of times, I enjoy prefer paring the game really, but it’s anyway the greatest challenge you can face in football. Football is all about closing down spaces, closing down players, having challenges in the right areas, and this kind of thing. And with City, it’s always if you close them down here, then they are there and if you close that gap, you open up that gap – because the pitch is so big, and we only have 10 players to close all the gap. So, always a challenge. What I want to say with that, is it’s not that we now feel different or whatever. It’s a home game, it’s Anfield, and it’s us against Man City. Yes, they are at the moment, definitely, the best football team in the world, that’s how it is, but we will give it a try anyway, knowing there are no guarantees. But we know we get help from a full Anfield, and we try to use that.
On how much he ‘enjoys’ going up against Pep Guardiola and his team…
Very much, very much. It’s not that I don’t enjoy playing other games, but this is just a different challenge because they are good everywhere, so that’s how it is. There are no weak points where you say, ‘OK, we can do that, and they might struggle here or here.’ There’s not a lot, to be honest, but that’s why they are the team they are. No, it’s a job to do, that’s what we do. Yes, we know we have a couple of good results against them – not enough for winning the title more often – but most of the games we were really in the game and that was always significant. Foremost, you have to be in the game, you need to have your moments. There are moments where you have to suffer – it’s always the case – where they make you run, but there are other moments where you have to be dominant as well and that’s what we will try. Finding the right balance for these moments is a challenge.
