Jurgen Klopp appears to have slammed former Liverpool star Didi Hamann for comments he made about assistant manager Pep Lijnders last year. The Reds manager has urged his staff’s critics to “have the balls” to criticize him rather than going after individuals who can’t respond..
In September, in the midst of Liverpool’s poor start to the season, Hamann vented his rage at Lijnders, who had published a book the month before.
“Alarm bells should have rung for Liverpool fans when the current assistant manager wrote a book while still employed by the club,” he tweeted. I’m not sure how he got away with it.”
“The only question is whether the club benefited from it, and the simple answer is no,” a follow-up tweet in January read..
His job is not to educate other coaches while being paid by Liverpool.”
Klopp was reportedly ‘enraged’ by Lijnders’ criticism and widespread questioning of Liverpool’s head of fitness and conditioning, Andreas Kornmayer.
And, ahead of Monday’s Merseyside derby, the German manager defended his players.
“I just don’t like it when you go after the wrong people – go after me, that’s fine, but don’t go after other people,” Klopp explained.
I get paid a lot of money to deal with these situations, and my life is fine.
Don’t criticize them [staff who can’t respond]; have the guts to go for me, and the confrontation will take place.
“Nobody is here because they are a friend of mine or something. It was never the case and will never be the case. They are here because they are the best in their field.”
This season, Klopp has faced a barrage of adversity, with Liverpool falling to 10th in the Premier League, 12 points off the top four.
The Reds have only won one of their last seven games, losing four, and have yet to win a league title in 2023..
But Klopp has insisted that all blame should be placed squarely on his shoulders as he prepares to face a resurrected Everton side led by new manager Sean Dyche at Anfield.
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