Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has credited Jose Mourinho for turning Tottenham Hotspur into a “results-machine” ahead of the clash between the Premier League’s top two sides at Anfield on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Mourinho’s Spurs are noted to have the best defensive record in the league and are marginally ahead of reigning champions Liverpool on goal difference.<\/p>\n
Although criticism has been leveled against Tottenham as being a defensive, counter-attacking team, Klopp said there was more to their game than meets the eye and drew similarities with his own side.<\/p>\n
“[Mourinho] showed obviously some comeback skills, if it was that. Very impressive, what he has done at Tottenham,” Klopp told reporters.<\/p>\n
“The way they play this year is really good, he turned them into a results-machine … Counter-attack is not their only strategy, they are a proper footballing side.<\/p>\n
“Harry Kane drops [deep] in a way Roberto Firmino has done. Quick wingers… A very offensive midfielder in [Tanguy] Ndombele, then very strong midfielders behind. That is football, you cannot be top of the league with only counter-attacking.”<\/p>\n
Klopp is wary – as he should well be – of Spurs’ goalscoring dynamic duo of Son Heung-min and Kane, who have been blasting all opposition to bits with their combined 19 goals and 14 assists in the league, but pointed out they were not the only threats in the side.<\/p>\n
“Unfortunately, if we keep [Son and Kane] quiet, there are still a lot of really good players … with threats from a lot of areas on the pitch,” Klopp said.<\/p>\n
“[Steven] Bergwijn plays an important role in counter-attacking moments. Ndombele needed a bit longer to settle at Tottenham, but he’s now 100 per cent there.<\/p>\n
“[Giovani] Lo Celso, [Moussa] Sissoko, [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg – a proper unit in midfield. It works well together … And Gareth Bale being fit again is another threat.”<\/p>\n
Klopp added that on the Reds side, defender Joel Matip was a doubt for the clash due to back spasms while he will make a late call on midfielder Naby Keita.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"