Jurgen Klopp refuses to take Pep Guardiola's bait as Liverpool and Manchester City prepare for thrilling Premier League climax
The laugh from Jurgen Klopp as the question came up in his pre-match press conference was enough of an answer.
As Sky Sports kicked off the preview of Tuesday's trip to Aston Villa by asking about the incendiary comments from Pep Guardiola made in the wake of Manchester City's 5-0 hammering of Newcastle United on Sunday, it was all Klopp could do to suppress the laughter.
It was an entirely human reaction that spoke volumes. Klopp is far too secure in his own skin to be wound up by any sort of swipe made by any manager, even Guardiola, whose City side are now firmly in the driving seat for the Premier League title.
For those that missed the comments made on Sunday by the Catalan, he suggested that the media was in favor of Liverpool as a thrilling title race enters its final weeks.
🗣 “After getting knocked out of the Champions League, that’s already difficult to take.”
Jürgen Klopp on Pep Guardiola being upset about being knocked-out of the #UCL whilst Liverpool made the final. https://t.co/VPjMcxMxcR
“Everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone," he told beIN Sport. "Of course because Liverpool has an incredible history behind in European competition - not in Premier Leagues, because they’ve won one in 30 years - but I don't care. They have more supporters around the world and in England more support Liverpool than us."
It was the kind of comment usually reserved for the depravity of social media where the incessant and nonsensical takes come morning, noon and night. It might as well have been made by an account named '@GuardiolaEra' rather than the man himself. The attempt at the fabled 'mind games' just made the City boss come off like a paranoid Twitter troll.
Klopp, though, did not take the bait. It was laughed off, repeatedly, before he offered a sensible, measured answer that almost seemed to bail out his City counterpart. The Liverpool boss took the high road.
"I live in Liverpool so yes, here, a lot of people want us to win the league," Klopp said. "That's true but even here it's probably only 50%.
"I think we should take it as a backhanded compliment if he means it as a backhanded compliment. That is completely normal. We all feel the tension, we cannot say we don’t feel it.
"After the Tottenham game, it is not like I thought it was great that it happened, but before you can deal with your emotions, you have already faced 20 cameras."
Jürgen Klopp’s reaction to Pep Guardiola saying:
🗣 "The people want Liverpool to win more than us. It's not an issue. It's normal. Maybe they have more supporters all around the world, in England maybe more support Liverpool than us.”
🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/utoZrKlbNY
Klopp's candidness in front of the media has been a feature of his press conferences at Liverpool
Sitting in the press conference with the Liverpool boss on Monday, at no point did he give the impression that he was put out by the comments from his great rival. The Reds manager exuded calmness and his relaxed nature was a far cry from inside the bowels of Anfield when he wore a scowl and barked some short, sharp answers after the 1-1 draw with Spurs.
The contrast between the two media dealings, which this reporter was at for both, was stark and indicated just how much pressure and tension can get to even elite coaches like Klopp and, as evidenced by Sunday, Guardiola too.
"As a manager, and I had this experience only recently after a game," Klopp said on Monday, "we are massively influenced by the game. I said, and would I say it again? No. I said after the game, 'They play like they play and are still only fifth.' It felt good at that moment but was wrong."
It was refreshing to hear Klopp admit that his emotions ran over at the weekend before changing his stance in the cold light of day after the frustration of the result had subsided. It is perhaps something that doesn't happen enough in an era when every manager's word is poured over and analyzed to the nth degree.
Guardiola's attempt to create a siege mentality will have fallen flat. Klopp is patently not interested in a personal feud with anyone. The focus on trophies is absolute.
The City manager's barbs might have wanted to scream: 'No-one likes us but we don't care' but they came off as quite the opposite.
No-one cares and they don't like it.