JURGEN KLOPP says he has outgrown games of touchline space invaders – and the volatile Liverpool boss is not expecting any dugout drama at Anfield tomorrow night.
Klopp will come face-to-face with Jose Mourinho – two managers renowned for their technical area antics – when Liverpool and Manchester United clash for the first time this season.
But he insists he has never had a problem with Mourinho.
And despite Klopp being ordered to calm down by Chelsea first-team coach Jose Morais at Stamford Bridge last October, with Mourinho looking on, the Reds boss is adamant there are no problems between them.
Liverpool’s 3-1 win that day helped usher Mourinho out the exit door at Chelsea – he was sacked barely two months later.
But Klopp said: “I am not sure anybody told me about my behaviour after the game, but now, nearly one year later, we talk about it?
“I have to accept that for a long time in my life not everybody is 100 per cent happy with my performance on the sideline.
“But I think I’m not as intense as I used to be when I was younger.
“Sometimes it happens. But actually now at Anfield there is much, much more space for all of us.
“And I’m one year older. That’s what age can do in a positive way.
“I don’t know. We will see. There were never incidents between Jose and myself. Everything has been good until now.
“Have we had clashes? Never personally. He’s a very successful and very experienced colleague. We had a few talks before the games, especially when we played Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund.
“It’s always a big challenge and that’s how it is this time. But it is not Mourinho against Klopp.
“This is Liverpool against United. Two good sides. Yeah, we’ll try to get the points.”
The Kop fans have taken Klopp to their hearts during his first 12 months at Anfield.
A TV crew touring the city centre recently was told that he is revered in the same way as Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish.
Klopp is touched by their devotion – but jokes he would not wear one of the lookalike masks they love to parade in tribute to their leader.
He added: “If someone wants to wear a mask with my face I can’t believe it. I don’t like my face too much. I wouldn’t wear a mask with it.”
Klopp is humbled by the comparison with Anfield legends but does not feel the fans should dwell on the past and said: “Nobody should compare this team with the good old teams.
“This is a different time in a wonderful club and in a difficult league. The old times will not come back. It’s positive that we had that as a club. We had all these great coaches, managers, players.
“There’s still a positive attitude in and around LFC.
“And that’s good.”
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