Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his admiration for West Ham boss David Moyes ahead of their EFL Cup quarter-final clash at Anfield on Wednesday.
Klopp said he has “enormous respect” for Moyes, who has led the Hammers to an impressive start in the Premier League this season, sitting fourth in the table after 16 games.
“I think he is doing an incredible job there,” Klopp told reporters on Tuesday. “He has a clear idea of how he wants his team to play, he has a fantastic squad, he has made some really smart signings, and he has created a winning mentality there.”
Klopp also praised Moyes for his longevity in the game, having managed Everton, Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham in a career spanning over 20 years.
“He is one of the most experienced managers in world football, and he has seen everything in this business,” Klopp said. “He has been successful at different clubs, he has faced difficult situations, he has always bounced back, and he has always stayed true to himself.”
Klopp and Moyes have faced each other 12 times in their managerial careers, with Klopp winning seven, Moyes winning two, and three ending in draws. The last time they met was in October, when Liverpool beat West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones.
The two managers will now go head-to-head for a place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, a competition that neither of them has won before. Klopp said he expects a tough challenge from Moyes and his team, who have already knocked out Manchester United and Manchester City in the previous rounds.
“They are a very strong side, they have a lot of quality, they are well-organised, they are dangerous on the counter-attack, they are good on set-pieces, they have everything you need to be successful,” Klopp said. “We have to be ready for a big fight, we have to be at our best, we have to show our desire to win this trophy.”
Klopp confirmed that he will make some changes to his starting line-up, as he did in the previous rounds against Norwich and Preston, but he insisted that he will field a strong team that can compete with West Ham.
“We have a lot of respect for this competition, we want to go as far as possible, we want to win it if we can,” Klopp said. “We know we have a very difficult opponent, but we also have a very good team. We will give everything we have to make our fans happy.”
إرسال تعليق