Jürgen Klopp has described José Mourinho as “the most successful manager around at the moment” ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Anfield, attributing his rival’s resurgence to experience rather than a reinvention of his managerial style.
Wednesday marks two years since Mourinho’s final game in charge of Manchester United, a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool that ended his turbulent reign. Now at Spurs, he has guided the team to the top of the Premier League, and Klopp believes the Portuguese coach has simply adapted to his players.
“I don’t think you can compare the last game with Man United with the way they are playing now,” Klopp said. “José Mourinho has been successful for a very long time and he has played pretty much all different systems and styles. As a coach you have to adapt to the quality you have, and that is one of his best skills.”
The Liverpool manager added that Mourinho’s only reinvention appears on social media. “It looks a little bit like that when you see him on Instagram, or at least that part of him, but I think he is just so experienced and smart that he knows what he has to do.”
Klopp warned that Spurs boast the best counterattacking moves in the league, saying: “They only need two or three passes to be one-on-one with the goalkeeper. They are a proper package at the moment, but that doesn’t cost me confidence when I think about my team.”
