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The quarter final between Liverpool and Dortmund was always going to be an exciting affair with the return of Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool warned to ignore hype around Jürgen Klopp’s Dortmund return

Klopp stated during his conference that he would rather be at Dortmund than North Korea. The Liverpool manager is not surprised with the reception that he is receiving at his former club having guided them to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions league final in 2013.

However, the former Mainz coach has stated that he and his team are very focused on the game. The Liverpool manager added that Dortmund are clear favorites going into the game and also one of the contenders for winning the Europa league as well.

He said that he recognized the mountain that his team would be required to climb in order to come out of this round on the winning side. The former Dortmund manager stated that he would obviously not celebrate when Dortmund scores but realizes the importance of his team being very much up to the task in order to make things difficult for the German club.

Dortmund have been in tremendous form in the Bundesliga under Tuchel and it would be a great match between two Europa league contenders at the Westfalenstadion.

It seems Mario Gotze has stated that he regularly texts his former manager Jurgen Klopp. Klopp currently manages Liverpool having  replaced Brendan Rodgers earlier in the season.

Mario Gotze has revealed that Jurgen Klopp still texts him regularly

Gotze played under Klopp in his time at Borussia Dortmund and was one of the key players of the squad which reached the 2013 champions league final.

However, Gotze did not take part in the final and the reason given was that the player was suffering from an injury. However, earlier in the 2012-13 season, Bayern had announced the signing of Gotze from Dortmund, something which infuriated the Dortmund fans. There are reports stating that the anguish among the supporters were one of the reasons for which Klopp refused to play his star midfielder.

After leaving the club in acrimonious circumstances, the career of Gotze , however, failed to elevate as expected and the player has been in and out of the team under Guardiola. The German International, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final, recently returned to the squad after a five month lay off.

Gotze insisted that his texts with Liverpool manager Klopp are just friendly and when asked about his chances of joining Liverpool, the response was a firm no.

Jurgen Klopp has asked his Liverpool players to trust his tactics and game plan ahead of the League cup final against Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp believes a League Cup win would be one for the whole squad

Klopp believes he has the necessary wisdom and experience to handle situations like this. Liverpool's last trophy was, in fact, the League Cup itself in the year 2012 under Kenny Dalglish when they won against Cardiff City.

Klopp has stated that it is important that his players do not go into the game thinking it is the biggest game of their lives. He feels that it is important to handle the pressure from the fans especially since Liverpool have not won a trophy since four years.

The former Dortmund manager added that he has experienced the feeling associated with both winning as well as losing in such situations. The German certainly experienced his greatest disappointment when Borussia Dortmund lost the Champions league final in 2013 against their German rivals Bayern Munich.

Former Liverpool captain Gerrard stated that Klopp is the difference in the League cup final this time around. The statement was taken in a more jovial way by Klopp but the German also added that he knows the way to go about such a situation.

Liverpool's recent Capital One league cup semifinal win against Stoke City was a vital victory for the Reds given that it was a major step for Klopp in the direction of winning his first cup for his new club. However, the victory did come at a massive cost wherein they lost both Coutinho and Lovren to injuries with Toure also struggling towards the end of the game.

Jürgen Klopp

The Kloppomania frenzy has certainly reduced in the last few days due to the inconsistent performances of the team in the Premier league. There were also doubts from some quarters pertinent to the durability of the 'gegenpressing' style that Klopp adopts for his teams. One of the major reasons for such skepticism is the fact that there is no winter break in the premier league unlike in Germany where players get to enjoy a rest during the Christmas period.

In fact, the Christmas period is considered to be one of the busiest periods in the Premier league calendar. The fact that Liverpool have lost three players to injuries in one game immediately after such a busy period has raised questions about the longevity of the high intensity game that Klopp adopts.

Klopp has never managed a team outside Germany and the high pressing game that he prefers certainly will test the fitness levels of even the best players in the world. The recent injuries that his players have suffered are being cited due to this particular style that has been adopted. Sunderland manager Allardyce, who earlier called Klopp a soft German, was one of the few to quickly criticize the German for the injuries that have hit his squad.

However, it may still be early to put the blame on the manager because injuries are at times indeed unfortunate. The same thought has also been stressed upon by Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana, who insists that the medical staff at the club is one of the best and they have taken steps in order to provide sufficient recovery between matches for the players.

On the other hand, Klopp would certainly hope that the injuries sustained by his players are not serious and also emphasized the importance of bringing in a defender in the transfer window given two out of the three injured in the game against Stoke were defenders.

Jurgen Klopp is looking to strengthen Liverpool’s squad depth as the Merseyside club is weighing up a move for Red Star Belgrade midfielder Marko Grujic.

Marko Grujic confirms Liverpool talks, but will stay in Serbia this season

The Serbian playmaker held talks with club representatives last week and is keen on a move to Anfield. Liverpool offered a proposal of £4.3m for the services of the player plus allowing him to play for the Serbian outfit till the summer.

Liverpool’s assistant manager Zeljko Buvac, also a Serbian, is closely monitoring the player and his influence in the team can persuade the player to join the club.

However, Grujic also attracted interest from various European clubs. Reports claim that Stuggart offered £5m for the player and Italian giants Inter Milan are also weighing up a late move for him.

Grujic scored 5 goals in 21 appearances for the Red Star Belgrade this season.

Meanwhile, Grujic commented on the reports saying that, 'I'll try to respect the club, the fans and the general public, but again I think that for myself I have to choose the best environment where I get the chance to play and where I work with good coaches in good conditions.

'It is certain that I remain here until the end of qualifying for the Champions League. I had a talk with Liverpool but I did not receive yet any agreement. I'm still a Red Star player.'

Jurgen Klopp’s first premier league victory at Anfield came on Sunday when Liverpool defeated Swansea City 1-0.  Liverpool moved to 6th position in the table trailing six points behind the leaders Manchester City. A much-needed victory for Klopp’s men and their stellar performance in the recent weeks has assured their resurgence to fight for the UCL spot.

Liverpool fans rejoiced the return of long-term absentees Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge

Liverpool started the match with much confidence and composure, and eventually they would have broken the deadlock in the 7th minute, when youngster Jordan Ibe raced into the penalty area but his poor touch handed over the ball to Kyle Bartley whose tackle guided the ball crashing into the post.

The match was little bit rusty and both sides failed to create a clear chance for the remaining part of the first half. In the 62nd minute, Liverpool’s high-end pressing paid off when the linesmen pointed to the spot after Neil Taylor appeared to have handled Ibe's cross inside the penalty area.

James Milner converted from the spot and gave them a valuable lead. The match finished at 1 – 0 with Swansea City failing to equalize for the remaining part of the game.

Klopp commented on victory during post-match conference:
"It was really difficult for both teams, the wind was in the stadium more than the stands.
"Swansea defended very well. They had some problems in the last few games but they were more compact. I am proud of the lads. It is a good result in difficult circumstances."

Crystal Palace have been Liverpool’s bogey team in recent years and have proved to be a thorn for them once again. Liverpool’s unbeaten run of 6 games was cut short by a determined display by Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace.

Jürgen Klopp

After wrecking Liverpool’s title aspirations back in 2014 and making sure Gerrard’s career ended on a sour note in May this year, Crystal Palace became the first team to beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Bolasie, as expected, made significant contribution in the match. Liverpool defenders Skrtel and Sakho could get nowhere near him throughout the match and he also opened the scoring with blistering shot through a crowded box. Emre Can was to blame for the goal as his faulty clearance went straight to Bolasie, who turned on the edge of the box and stunned Mignolet.

After a flurry of chances for Liverpool, finally came Coutinho’s equalizer. After a 3-man sequence between Jordan Ibe, Clyne and Lallana, Coutinho finished it up with a fine finish. Liverpool looked the more threatening of the two teams but could not finish the chances.

Against the run of play, Scott Dann popped in with a fantastic header from a corner to score a goal. Once a season ticket holder at Anfield, Scott Dann’s goal proved to be the winner at the end.

Midweek trip to Rubin Kazan might have been the real reason for Liverpool’s loss as they a bit tired on the pitch. However, Alan Pardew deserves credit for recognizing this weakness and putting Bolasie and Sako upfront to deal with tired legs of midfield and defence.

Interesting Fact: Alan Pardew scored the winner for Crystal Palace back in 1990 against Liverpool in FA Cup. That goal paved the way for Sir Alex’s Manchester United to win their first trophy under him.

Tottenham and Liverpool played out a draw in Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge.

Klopp had to settle for a share of the spoils in his first game

Let us see how the players fared in this fixture.

Tottenham Hotspurs:

Hugo Lloris - Didn't have much to do but was solid when called upon. 7/10

Danny Rose - Was the best of Tottenham's defenders and was a constant threat going forward. 7/10

Jan Vertonghen - Did his job well to keep Origi quiet throughout the game. 7/10

Toby Alderweireld - Looked calm and composed throughout the game. 7/10

Kyle Walker - Decent performance from the fullback as he defended well and was good in attack too. 7/10

Nacer Chadli - Limped off with an early injury. N/A

Erik Lamela - Was largely disppointing as he failed to create much in the game. 5/10

Christian Eriksen - Was Tottenham's best attacking player. Unlucky not to score at the end. 8/10

Moussa Dembele - Impressive performance in central midfield. Never gave Liverpool's attackers much time. 7.5 /10

Delle Alli - Was impressive going forward and defended well when required. 7.5/10

Harry Kane - Impressed with his hold up play and understanding with his teammates but woeful in front of goal. 7/10

Clinton N'Jie - Sloppy in possession but had a couple of good chances to score. 7/10




Liverpool:

Simon Mignolet - Made several brilliant saves to keep a clean sheet. 8 / 10

Nathaniel Clyne - Struggled early on against N'Jie but recovered well as the game progressed. 6.5 /10

Martin Skrtel - Was out of position at times but did well to battle with Harry Kane. 6.5 /10

Mamadou Sakho - Made some good blocks and passed the ball well. the best among liverpool's defenders. 7.5 /10

Alberto Moreno - Had a few nervy moments but recovered well. 6/10

Emre Can - Worked incredibly hard in pressing the Spurs players. Could be crucial to Klopp's system in the near future. 8/10

Lucas Leiva - Decent performance from the Brazilian. 6/10

James Milner - Decent defensively but was again poor going forward. 5.5 /10

Philippe Coutinho - Pressed high up the pitch but he couldn't provide the key pass to open up the defence. 7/10

Adam Lallana - Started well with his pressing, but faded off as the game wore on. 6.5 /10

Divock Origi - Hit the crossbar early on but hardly troubled Lloris thereafter. 6 / 10

Jurgen Klopp's new look Liverpool side earned a point away against Tottenham Hotspurs in his first game in charge at the club.

Mamadou Sakho stepped up and impressed for his new manager.

A win would have been the perfect result for Liverpool but considering the current scenario at the club, a draw against Tottenham away has to be taken as a good result. Klopp has not had enough time to work with his players and most of his first team players were injured.



But there was a sense of optimism after the match and there certainly were changes in Liverpool's approach in the game. Klopp was the centre of attention of the media before the game and he didn't fail to deliver.

Divock Origi was tasked to spearhead the attack with Sturridge, Benteke, Ings all out injured.

A shade of the famous 'geigenpressing' of Klopp was there for all to see as Liverpool started brightly without allowing Tottenham any time or space on the ball. The first real chance for Liverpool came from a corner and Origi hit the crossbar with a header.

Tottenham slowly grew into the game and had some good chances themselves. Mignolet was forced to perform a couple of brilliant saves from N'jie and Harry Kane. Kyle Walker and Delle Alli also tried their luck but a determined Sakho and a brilliant Mignolet stood firm to deny them.

After the break, neither team got much chances. Liverpool were constantly pressing their opponents in their own half but they weren't able to create much after winning the ball back. Emre Can and Christian Eriksen sent long range efforts just wide of the target at either side in the dying moments but neither side looked like winning the game.

It was not the best performance from Liverpool but there was a massive improvement from the Rodgers days. Once the injured Henderson and Sturridge return, this style of pressing football will start to reap rewards. Liverpool's major issue has been their defence but they looked pretty solid at the back in today's game.

Once Klopp is given time and the players are all fully fit, this Liverpool side will be able to produce some really entertaining football.

Liverpool's owners have been praised for their decision to appoint Jurgen Klopp as the replacement for the sacked Brendan Rodgers and rightly so.

Jurgen Klopp

But Liverpool supporters should not expect to see him work wonders immediately. For all that has been talked about, we haven't yet seen Liverpool play under him.

But certainly he will bring some changes. Let's look at the five changes that he is sure to bring at Anfield.

5. Heavy metal football

Klopp had once said at Dortmund that he liked to play "Heavy metal football". His best years at Dortmund came when he had Lewandowski, Reus and Gotze in his team.



There is a striking similarity with the team at Liverpool now. He has a workaholic in Henderson, a big classic striker like Lewandowski in Benteke, Coutinho can be his new Gotze, Firmino can be his new Reus.

If Klopp can work his magic at Anfield, we will get to see some entertaining football.