LIVERPOOL MANAGER JURGEN Klopp is enjoying watching his players create their own atmosphere as his side warmed up for their Premier League return with a 6-0 Anfield friendly win over Blackburn.
The match not only enabled Klopp to step up his players’ fitness levels ahead of the Merseyside derby on 21 June but also to adapt to the closed-door surroundings and the safety protocols.
The goals came from Naby Keita, Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino, Joel Matip, Ki-Jana Hoever and Leighton Clarkson to seal an emphatic win for the Reds.
On the lack of supporters, Klopp told Liverpool’s website: “Yes, it’s different, of course. You need to get used to it, but I like it. After three times, it is completely OK.
“I thought before – and I don’t have experience in this area – that it would be really awkward, but we have to create our own atmosphere in the games.
“We have to be lively as well, we have to be animated and stuff like this. Being positive about the things that have happened and so on, that’s how you can create an atmosphere – and it’s what we have to do as well. Apart from that, it is Anfield.”
📍 Anfield pic.twitter.com/Wd5xKPfNli
— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) June 11, 2020
Pure composure from Clarkson 👌
— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) June 11, 2020
Highlights from today's behind-closed-doors friendly at Anfield 🔜 LFCTV GO: https://t.co/BxfzKkm3b4 pic.twitter.com/FBasWbPCv0
Klopp is also trying to ensure there are no surprises for his players when they deal with the unusual new rules and protocols designed to stop the spread of Covid-19.
“Everything is different” he said.
The boys now go home and they didn’t have a shower. It was raining before the game, so that would have been funny if there had been really hard rain and then you drive home in your own car and you didn’t have a shower.
“Our meeting was here in the boardroom. We want to have it like this, we can organise it differently at Anfield when we play here, but we have no clue how it’ll be at away games and we need to create as awkward-as-possible situations just to not be surprised.
“We want to focus completely on football and whatever happens around the games, we just take it like it is.”
⚽️ @takumina0116 ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/XRJZTMa2aP
— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) June 11, 2020
💫Naby💫 pic.twitter.com/yCxqjHf3z2
— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) June 11, 2020
Makes a change for me to be putting it through someone else’s legs 🙄😉
— James Milner (@JamesMilner) June 11, 2020
Great to be back in red at Anfield#ilooksurprisedmyself#nutmegfacials#missingthefans 🔴 pic.twitter.com/iNlS6swCkj
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