Gary Neville’s advice didn’t exactly sit well with Jurgen Klopp.
Earlier this week, Neville suggested that Liverpool ought to kick the Champions League into touch this year because of the toll it can take on players when playing twice a week.
The Sky Sports pundit was of the opinion that Klopp’s best chance of delivering Liverpool’s first ever Premier League trophy would come if he didn’t try to juggle every competition this term.
When Neville’s recommendation was put to Klopp at his Friday press conference, the Reds boss laughed it off and claimed he didn’t fully understand Neville’s logic.
“Gary should come over and tell me exactly how that would work,” Klopp said. “You bring your kids in the Champions League? That would be funny!
“I don’t want to be too critical because I don’t know exactly how he said it but sitting in an office and talking about football is completely different to doing the job, to be honest.
“What did he say about Manchester United in that case? The club he’s more interested in. Nothing?
“I don’t know exactly what it means but to focus on one competition can only be if maybe you are already out of the competition nearly.
“If it’s late in the season that you see you have a chance to do that or do this and all that stuff.
“Last year, for example, we had no chance to focus on one competition because we had to qualify for the Champions League and I don’t think that even Gary Neville would have said: ‘Quarter-finals of the Champions League, let City win’.”
Neville couldn’t see how his comments were perceived as an insult and maintained that Klopp actually agrees with his opinion but isn’t able to admit it.
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