Jurgen Klopp has hailed Roberto De Zerbi as a ‘top coach’ and said the Italian’s Brighton team are ‘super interesting to watch’, ahead of Liverpool’s clash with the south-coast club on Sunday.
De Zerbi, of course, is also in the running to occupy Klopp’s seat next season. The German will depart the club after this campaign and Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the running to replace him this afternoon, leaving Sporting’s Ruben Amorim and De Zerbi as the top contenders.
That means Sunday will be somewhat of an audition for De Zerbi at Anfield. And Klopp has talked up the Seagulls, a bogey team for Liverpool in recent years. Since De Zerbi took over at the Amex Stadium, his side have beaten the Reds twice and drawn the other two meetings.
‘We know how difficult it is against Brighton,’ said Klopp. ‘Roberto is doing an incredible job there. We improved over the 18-20 months since he arrived (in England). The first game was surprising, we were their first opponent when he joined the club. We had no clue what to expect.
‘It was impressive how quick he got the team in his way. Since then it has only gotten better. A really impressive, different way of playing football. It’s about having possession, they want it and we want it, but we need to have more. That’s the best way to defend against them.
‘When they have the ball, you have to be ready to suffer. It will be super interesting, I’m really looking forward to it.’
Pressed specifically on what makes De Zerbi so special, Klopp added: ‘The way they play. It’s a really different way. I couldn’t coach that. It goes against my personality! But it’s a good watch, very demanding for the players - clear positioning.
‘Hold your position, keep your position, pass at the right moment. He’s a top coach doing really well, super interesting to see. That makes it tricky. It’s just a different way. Possession-based but even more structured from a positional point of view than maybe Manchester City or whatever where they have a bit more freedom.
‘Brighton, on their day, can beat any team. But good news: we can do that as well.’