JURGEN KLOPP’S “intimidating” pre-match stare down has finally been explained.
The Liverpool boss, 56, can often be seen standing on the halfway line observing the Reds’ opponents warming up.
Everton star James Tarkowski, 31, has admitted that Klopp’s watching act affects him ahead of games against his side.
Asked on the FozCast if he’s aware he’s being observed, the defender said: “Always, because I always warm up right near the halfway line.
“I like to be that end of the warm ups so I’m always quite high and can see (Klopp) gleaming at me from the side.
“I’m thinking ‘I better make sure this pass is right’, or he’s going to walk into the dressing room and say ‘that Tarkowski’s having one in the warm-up, go and play on him’.
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“I’m making sure every pass is crisp and I’m not giving it away. And If I give one away I’m thinking ‘ he’s going to go in and tell those lads that I’m having one in the warm up there.”
Presenter Ben Foster admitted to feeling the same way as Tarkowski when facing Klopp’s Liverpool during his career.
Foster, 40, recently met up with the German and asked him if he’s aware that his pre-match routine “intimidates the opposition”.
Quoting Klopp’s response, Foster revealed that he said: “No, I didn’t know that. I don’t do it for that.
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“I do it so I can (identify) a technical or a tactical something I can pick up on.
“Because sometimes you will get some teams that will set up their actual shape and position in the warm-up.
“And if I see a left-back or a right-back will come inside or might stay… I might just clock it a little bit and I might mention it to the players before I go.”
He then added: “I definitely don’t do it to try and intimidate players.”
Whatever Klopp is doing this season appears to be working.
The Reds are top of the Premier League table after 20 games.
They have also advanced to the Europa League knockout stages, and face Fulham in the League Cup semi-finals later this month.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
