‘We are not the Harlem Globetrotters’: Jürgen Klopp praises Liverpool’s spirit

Jürgen Klopp praised his team’s ruthlessness after their 3-2 victory at Leicester City, saying the result proved that Liverpool can be winners as well as entertainers.

“I said to the boys before the game: ‘We are not the Harlem Globetrotters so don’t go out and play brilliant football,’” said Klopp. “‘We are here for results so we play for results.’ So I loved how we fought for it. It could have been more clear but after a few games without the right results you have to fight back and that’s what we did.”

READ MORE: Liverpool Fan View: Four talking points from the 3-2 win at Leicester

The win ended a run of four games without a victory but Klopp said the criticism aimed at him during that period did not affect him. “I don’t read it but I know about pressure,” he said. “I’ve had it all my life for different reasons. When it’s the right pressure it always helps, when it’s without sense then it doesn’t help and I’m very good at ignoring it. But we want to be successful and we know that this quality that we have makes us responsible for being successful.

“We really think we are on a good way but we are absolutely aware that we have to show it with results so everybody can see it. We play good football. We do a lot of good things. Yes, we still have issues. Yes, we lose challenges. We could have defended better before they crossed for the second goal. But we like to work together and we have a fantastic atmosphere at Melwood.”

In Germany, the magazine Der Spiegel has published leaked emails between Barcelona and Liverpool, showing the Reds rejected a first offer for Philippe Coutinho this summer before turning away another, with their sporting director, Michael Edwards, writing: “I ask you amicably to stop harassing Coutinho publicly and privately. No sum will lead us to reverse our decision.”

Barça’s assertion that Liverpool had demanded £183m for Coutinho in the latter stages of the transfer window was also exposed as incorrect. The leaked emails also show that Barcelona had offered the player €115m (£102m) for a five-year contract, in effect doubling his £150,000-a-week earnings at Liverpool, with €10m promised to his agent should a transfer fee for the player be fixed at under £100m.