EP. 397 | That Jürgen Klopp Episode: Life after Liverpool, RETURNING To Management & Salah's farewell!

0:00Hello and welcome to that Peter Crouch podcast. Got Sids with me, got Chris Stark, zoomed in from holiday Sids. Yeah, lovely to see. Good to see you mate, thanks for coming aboard. Last week I sat down with Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp. You're not going to want to miss this because we got an hour of his time. It was absolutely sensational and he's everything you expect him to be and more. Here he is.

0:31Well, Mr. Jürgen Klopp, the boss, thank you so much for coming on. Yeah, welcome. It's a pleasure. An honor, I have to say. Thank you, man. Well, you thought that you were coming on the therapy crouch, the one I was coming on with. I didn't know there was another one. There is another one. I can't believe you. You hear that one? Do you hear that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wouldn't say. You have to follow to hear it. Well, you can subscribe, which would be handy. You watch it too. Yeah, I'd like you to subscribe. I never understood that by subscribing, but I see it anyway. And, from time to time and then shows up and you watch it two or three.

1:04Then next time I get the highlights again. Oh, I can't believe it. Yeah. What's it like? She's really funny. Oh, she is good. She kind of carries it really. She's really smart and funny. And you are. Thank you. This is my football one. And it's an honor. Listen, he told me I have to say that. It's an honor to have you on. It really is. I mean, what's it like for, a for a man like you to be back in liverpool what what's it like just to walk down the street it's yeah walking down the street funny um i love it and same time it's really intense you know for different reasons so um walking around um and uh having security because i need security not to be secure but to not get that i can walk um and these kind of things but it's just nice maybe um i'm here for the foundation and i would do pretty much everything but i might walk topless through the city if that helps you know any kind it wouldn't help by the way um and and so it's fantastic to be back it's just difficult with timing yeah a good time for the old manager to come back but in the end we celebrate if people see me and have a good feeling about the past wonderful that's what we all wanted and it's same for me when i see the city it's home it was nine years home yeah yesterday when i woke up it was raining and i said liverpool you are kidding me honestly you are really kidding me yeah but the sun the sun's come out today right and you know looking forward to it all what was it like when you first arrived you know obviously you know we know what's gone on and the history you've created here the legacy you've created is incredible but when you first arrived what was the team like and and what were were your first impressions of the city oh we were a bit naive in a sense because we can have a life in a city because in germany and the people knew me but it's not that i couldn't walk through streets or stuff running together these kind of things um so we first night um my assistant pete kravitz ula and i we just went around the corner from the hope street hotel and had a beer or whatever and And then it was the next day.

3:13Ladies stopped the car. I wore a hat, I think, ping. I never played golf in my life, but I had a ping hat on. Why? And then she won the picture, and she was formerly known as an influencer or whatever. And so the next day, it looks like, ah, the club's having a beer. That was the only time I had a beer in the Liverpool city. You learned pretty quickly that. Everyone knows. It's not just football fans. It feels like, you know, the mums, the grandmas, you know, children, everyone knows. But we fell in love with the city instantly. So we had to, first, we were in a hotel, but we didn't want to live in a hotel.

3:49It was nice, but we wanted to have something like a home until we find a real home. So we moved in a flat. And at nighttime, we always walked through the city. It was really night and dark just to get to know the city a little bit. No people in the streets. We just walked through. And it's, we all know. Liverpool, of course, have rough paths and stuff like that. and beautiful as well. And then you get to know more and more people and then it's really difficult not to fall in love with it because people are special. Whatever other people say, people here are special. And so that's why it felt home.

4:19I mean, it was home for nine years and it still feels. So when I fly in, it's coming home. So meeting so many people, I still know, even though a lot of things change. Meanwhile, of course, that's normal. It's really nice to catch up. And I'm in contact with a lot of people anyway. So I left friends for life. And so we are now on the phone or wherever we meet on the planet. It's cool. Yeah. And it's incredible kind of what you've achieved now. And you must feel an immense sense of pride when you come back, when you see people's faces. You know, I'm very connected to the city as well. Married a Scouser and I'm around a lot of friends here.

4:55You know, I play for the club as well. And, you know, very in touch with what people are thinking. And you're held in the highest of high regard here. That must be a real honor for you. I mean we had a good time nobody I mean it nobody has to say thank you or whatever and I hear that actually quite often because I have to say thank you exactly for the same reasons and I don't do it all the time and I see people oh thank you for supporting us for over the years so it was just what we did it was just what we experienced it was our life for that time and we tried to do absolutely everything to be as successful as possible and it worked sometimes and sometimes didn't work we felt big we felt tiny little but we failed in moments and the thing is and that's what i can see now i always wanted to be and i'm old looking back and having a smile on my face and look nobody can think of these last nine years um without a smile on the face because it was just great everything about it how connected we were so i understand 100 why people are happy when they see me because i stand for this period and i'm as happy as they are when i see them because they stand for this period as much when yesterday we saw in the community center these kids and there were 10 i love you more than my dad you were two one were you the boy not born when i arrived well i know some fathers that love you more than their sons as well.

6:25Genuinely. But like, it wasn't just the manner of, of you. Cause I think anyone who won the Premier League, that was the Holy Grail, right? It was, it was something that hadn't been achieved. And, you know, from title winning managers of the past, you know, obviously, Sir Kenny's here to, and just wasn't, it wasn't able to happen. Lots of different players came through the door. You were the one that, that kind of did that but it was it was the manner of your football as well it was attacking when you first arrived did you did you think we want to we want to play this way but you did you maybe you didn't quite have the players when was it you know where you were adapting to the players you had when was it when you brought the players in that you could play exactly the way you wanted to play or was it straight away no of course not everything needs time life and in football especially just nobody gives you time usually we were lucky enough to make immediate steps that everybody could see oh it's going in the right direction people forget that but in the beginning I think it took a while until we won a game we drew at home famous West Brom equalized we celebrated like we won the world championship and it all has to has to develop has to grow and that's what that's what we did and the players they're fantastic players but to win the Premier League you need special you know some special player and we brought them in step by step year by year with the money we earned from other transfers stuff like that I would have loved to play two full seasons with Phil Coutinho Sadio Bobby and more wow we had a few games we had a few games that looked really good I had kind of an idea that could work and then everybody know what happened it was good for us less good for Phil and that's how it is with decisions you only know later if it's right or wrong but we could bring in with this money Virg and Ali and without them nothing would have happened.

8:18So without luck in life you are lost. And we were lucky to have these guys but the spine was already there. So we were in Ginny but Millie, Hendo, Adam were already there. They kept it all, they kept it on the level and then they helped us to push to the next level. And you remember it when you stand there on the table as an analyst and as you speak about the Liverpool midfield midfield of that time I think yeah they're like a bit of a goal thread I think if they have a goal thread on top of that everybody else was a goal thread our fullbacks were a goal thread three up run were a goal thread and these three guys had to hold it all together then we don't then we are not all over the place that felt like a real period that three in midfield you had real workers in there and it felt like everyone else maybe two at the back the two fullbacks were highest players at times the three up front and you kind of needed that the three in midfield to hold that together absolutely and they were involved in goals all of them they were involved they were versatile they could play different positions they could fill on the right or left back they could fill on the wing and stuff like that so that was really but they made you cannot to develop you need stability and they gave us the stability that's all the midfielders gave us the stability together with Fabinho and stuff like that that's what they did and then you can be crazy around and you can have a little a few ideas let me say it like that if you lose the ball lose the ball and you have James Miller behind you who cares he will get it back in a second David Hendo and the other guy so that's that's the best thing about the team so I knew that we have them and I knew I can build around them but we all know Bobby was there obviously but the other two we had to buy other really good players Oxlade so they gave us always an extra something extra Oxlade with his dynamic with his speed without the injuries Ox would have gone through the roof 100 percent we had up front the best replacements for the front three but first they will go rigi nobody wants to imagine our story without they will go rigi yeah um and then we had chakiri and all the takumi minamino all these all these players it was just we were lucky we were smart um and we gave ourselves the time to make these steps and the people enjoyed the football on the way so that's obviously pretty important yeah you know there's something I think about special managers like I think about Sir Alex Ferguson there's the players in and around the squad almost create massive moments like you say about Oxlade-Chamberlain there you know moments Shaqiri's had massive moments maybe not always playing you know Divock Origi we know about his moments they're not always playing but you always keep them kind of motivated so for when they do come in they're ready for that big moment I think the best managers do that how have you managed to do that?

11:07Dealing with these boys, treating them completely normal. Don't forget them. Because a week with three games is fast. You wake up on Monday and it's Friday and you had a game on Wednesday and you can't remember it. So this is how a football week can be. So in this week, you need to take the time to give them all attention. So why? You know, the players who didn't start the day before and then you have this training session the next day. How is the mood there? And who is responsible for the mood? I can stand on the sideline and look, oh, they are not in the best shape. Maybe they are angry because of yesterday.

11:40Or I give them reasons why they can be in a good mood. Why should they be in a good mood? Just waking up in the morning and saying, I didn't play again. Who is in a good mood then? So it's my job to help them that they find a little light at the end of the tunnel. It's not forever. It's only that game. Maybe I play the next game or I come on the next game. And we had always a lot of really young players. They were just happy to breathe the same air as we did. And we didn't put any pressure on them and then we could watch them. We could watch them growing. It was ridiculous how big the steps were they made.

12:14And so you had always this dynamic in the team and we had good characters. You can be a good player and not a nice person or you can be a good player and a nice person. And I prefer that one. I prefer even a little bit less a good player if he's a nice person and the top player, but he's whatever. yeah so because you need the one helps you in the moment the other helps you the other help you on the whole journey yeah who was the best mentality wise like who is the player you would you would go to war with yes no question and he only needs a swim shot probably with james miller every day every day so he was really he was ridiculous and he had he developed so so beautifully as a man So he was this, you all know him, longer than I do, this stubborn guy, get me the ball, and I want to play every day, every minute.

13:08And then I come and start rotating, and it was like, yeah, fine, rotate by the others. So I can play again. He didn't say that, but he was like, for what reasons? You know, I have a lot in the tank still. But he had learned this role step by step, and the best thing about him was if he played or not, he was in the dressing room ridiculously important he was he set all the standards and he next to him Hendo could grow exactly in that role same mindset all these kind of things but who tells you how to be Millie is maybe natural it's like the 11 year old boys who ran races in Germany he told me once a track and field and then the 16 year old plays Premier League and stuff like this but then the rest they were all super talents at one point in their life and all of a sudden they should be a leader on top of that who who to teach you that yeah so and they helped each other in this role and now today they're all really real men um not crazy not not not thinking they're bigger than life or whatever really serious people where you would go i hope never have to but i would go to each at least battle with them yeah yeah yeah it's their players that's obviously the improvement when you sign them.

14:21Did they surprise you when, you know, players like Mane, Salah, Firmino, I mean, that front three was one of the best front three of all time. Did they go to levels maybe that you, yeah, that you maybe, you could see the talent, but I mean, sometimes they were unplayable. Probably one day we asked Mo if he had a number in his mind, how many goals he wants to score. If that's only close to the number he achieved, now I would be really surprised. How can you? You cannot. Sadio surprised me every day. Sadio was the complete player. So in the last few months of when he was here, he played the false nine.

14:58Bobby was not in best shape, stuff like this. So he played false nine. How he interpreted that role. I thought only, okay, we have only one of these positions. We cannot play both. It was fine that one played the wing. Complete player. Bobby, smart, like hell. Unreal. And more with this desire that grew and got more to score. you were a striker you scored three in a game the fourth one would be nice but if not it's fine I'll take three yeah I take I take three for him it was like yeah four or five whatever he couldn't he couldn't stop and I admire that really it's not always easy to handle that as a coach from outside because but you need it if you are if you are completely normal you only can have normal performances you have need to have this extra and they all had and so yes coming back to your question they all surprised me completely the whole team surprised me i have to say yeah how they how they bored into it this this squad was really we had over the years the 40 50 players um they're all bored into it and now coming back to the start i don't think something like that is possible in each other city there might There are cities out there where it's possible.

16:16Because the power we create, we create out of this togetherness. That's how it is. The superpower of Liverpool FC is the togetherness. And somehow it happened that we were really together, really strong, and we could move mountains. But is there an element of frustration? I think I know the answer to this. I don't think it will be. But 97 points and you don't win a league, right? 92 points and you don't win a league. You lose by one point to a Manchester City team that we know was fantastic. But you lost one game in that season, in every other Premier League season, right? In those two seasons, you win the league.

16:55You know, is there, I mean, that could have been a period of complete dominance for Liverpool, really, with the team you had. Yeah, yeah. I can give that question back. So if you talk to me, would you see me any kind of different if I would have won the league twice? I don't. For me, I don't. in that moment it was hard hard to take really tough but today it's not I I lost three Champions League finals that's not alone but I was in a hot seat in that moment and it's like wow today doesn't feel bad today's a good joke I come in and can say when I have to talk to people I can say oh I'm the guy who lost more Champions League finals than most others play yeah yeah with two and two I'm not sure I feel that you're winding me up now as well.

17:46I got to one and lost it. So you cannot rewind. You cannot go back in time. I'm absolutely fine. The fun part is the final with the worst performance, we won. It's not a great game. In all other games, we were really good. We were really good with Dortmund. They are here, obviously, some of them. It was a really good game. And the other two Liverpool games, we were really good. We should have won. We was against Courtois or other strange circumstances. So you cannot really, again, going back, you need luck. In these moments, we didn't have luck. Did we never have luck? No, no, no, we had. We won wonderful competitions.

18:26We won the FA Cup. We won the Karabawa Cup. We won the Karabawa Cup. All these kind of things. We became champion. You take it. And if you are smart enough, you don't regret. And I don't. Yeah. Just a word on Mo Salah, just because he's just announced his retirement at the end of the season. How special a player is he for the club and obviously for you? Maybe other people said that in the past when they collected and counted the goals of Ian or something like that. I don't think something like that will happen again. Really? Because the combination of all the things he has, plus the character he is and the desire he has, I never saw somebody like it.

19:16If you saw more on the first day in training, you think, oh, that's a very talented boy. It's fantastic. Oh, the left foot. Ooh, speed. Aye, aye, aye. Great. And he starts scoring. And he starts scoring because he was not happy with his finishing in Rome or wherever. and he built a goal in a back garden. I'm sure a lot of people build a goal in a back garden and try to improve their finishing. Did he go home from training and go to the back garden? I was never there. I was never there. But if you ask me in my imagination. That's what he's doing. He did that seven hours a day. Really? In my imagination.

19:47You have to ask him. Did you see an improvement like from when he first arrived? Every year. He came back from summer break where he had not really summer break playing with Egypt or whatever. Coming back after two weeks. And a new skill. Really? A new idea. So, you know, remember the last season, obviously when we became chairman and how many goals he set up. The way he set up the goals, cutting inside where he usually shoots, across the ball, Cody Gagbo, whoever, arriving back post and boom. We had these situations as well with that. But he took it to perfection. It was like when the ball was on the foot, you already know we both, especially you, we could have scored there.

20:26We just waited there for 90 minutes and three balls fly in and the and the I made a living I know I know so and that's that's the situation so he always always something he never stopped and he will not not sure it's more 33 or so I think maybe 4 here there's another 5-6 here yeah 100 % and amazing yeah let's see where he goes again if top top top top top players are not always easy to deal with yeah And that's okay. The job of a coach is not to every day that everybody smiles. Now you have to figure out how you can help them to the next level. That's sometimes with making them angry. Oh, you're angry.

21:09Good. Show out there, not here. So whatever. There's so many little things. Or you give them a hug or a cuddle or a kick in the backside. And he always responded incredibly well. And I'm really curious and really looking forward to the last, what is it, seven, eight games? of the season what it will make to him to know now this wonderful period is over and now let's enjoy it as much as we can and we all know only enjoys football when he's scoring so I'm sure he will Jürgen what are you up to now? Are you enjoying yourself? Are you happy? You don't get the itch to come back? No no no no not no no I always have to say not yet because I still have time since I heard Roy Hodgson 78 Roy come on really Roy needs to put his feet up now but is it right Bristol is his home yeah yeah that's where he started ah so it obviously means something to we close the circle that's it right so in that degree was mine's view mine's yeah yeah that would be mine's obviously yeah yeah so I don't know in a moment no there's nothing I do what I do I love what I do I'm a busy man but it's good because I'm not good with I have nothing to do to be really honest and can enjoy family can enjoy spare time go on holidays but work and for the moment I miss nothing but yesterday we watched Kenny and I watched a session of the legends when you were I was out there by the way he was breathing like a horse don't expose me I tell these I'm really fit still still play yeah kind of so and then but Kenny and I watch it and then yeah look at Kenny he looks at me it's really cold yeah let's go inside after 15 minutes 15 minutes right I'm training I look over Sir Kenny Dalglish Sir Jürgen Klopp are both laughing at me and then they went in because it was cold outrageous yeah terrible so yeah it's good so yeah fair enough Jürgen I just got a couple of questions on the World Cup Will you be out of the World Cup?

23:25Yeah. Yeah. I will there for Magenta, if I was German Telecom. Yeah. And six weeks. Amazing. Yeah, you're going to do the whole six weeks. Yeah. Amazing. You as well. I'm going to be out there, yeah. You're going to be up for a beer. Definitely. But where are you? I think I'll be based kind of LA. Oh, we are New York. But I'll be in New York as well. Yeah, we'll fly as well. Yeah, but nice one. What do you think of, firstly, of Germany's chances? Sorry, Germany. What can you say, really? So last day we played against Switzerland, won 4-3. Couldn't watch it yet because we were here, busy with everything.

23:59And so what I heard, I can see that only watching the result, offensively, good defensively, it's a improvement. And England got a late equaliser, right? Yeah. So what can you say? Spain. It's always the same with Spain. There's a strike who's caused plenty of goals. And you think, why is he playing? It's not Real, not Barcelona. Oh, it's Saragossa. Oh, of course. So these kind of things. so they come from everywhere they're just so talented they're your favourite Spain? they probably have to I'm not 100 % sure South America I don't know Ken Messi Pulp one more you never know what is Carlo doing with Brazil if anybody if anybody can get them up to speed I think it could really be Carlo yeah there's so many teams of course some France God France is there it will be I think from quarterfinals on it will be ridiculous how good the teams are until then everybody has to make sure stay fit you know that most important that they all stay fit and then they all have a chance I hope we can enjoy it I hope we can enjoy the tournament it would be really cool show USA that this is a wonderful and Mexico and Canada but maybe they know a little bit more already how wonderful this game is that would be really cool Jürgen just with some of the players in Germany who are the players we need to watch out for Musiala Wurt Havert Yeah, I think it's been time until Julian has to nominate.

25:31I don't think you heard about him, but Azan Oadreogo, he played for Leipzig and he made a massive impression, very young, 19-year-old, midfielder, tall, really good dribbler, stuff like that, good sense for space and the goal, injured right now. If he gets fit and another four can play the rest of the season, in four, five, six weeks. I think could be a good choice. Musiala, of course. Musiala is struggling a little bit. That's why he's not with the national team right now. Kind of a stress reaction. Yeah. I'm not sure. I saw the goal. So Flo Wiltz was flying last night. So he's getting there.

26:08Definitely have to look at. Kai is coming back from an injury. And we have to see how he can settle and hopefully he can stay fit as well. So these are the things. But talking about it now, you realize we have good players because there are massive talents out there like you have. And then you still play 1-1 against Uruguay and stuff like that. So in these games, look after players, single players, these players. The team has to find a way to grow together and be a real force. And for the special moments, we need them, the others. but all the rest is hard work and not circus and have a look what we can do and look at us what we can do these kind of things I'm really looking forward to because so much talent out there in general so much talented footballer how will they do under this limelight or pressure or whatever can I just ask one more question just Harry Kane what he's achieved in the Bundesliga I met him in the dressing room I met him when they won against Leipzig I went to the dressing room because I wanted to see Luis Diaz.

27:18And I just wanted to stand there and they pulled me in. Come in. I've never been in a Bayern dressing room. That was really straight. So I was standing there and Harry came. And so nice to see him. So such a good mood. So he's top, top, top level. He understands the game better than probably anybody in this moment in time. He sees things early. his finishing was always fantastic but now he knows exactly it's like when he gets the ball it's like in a good way slow motion

27:51and the ball is going it's ridiculous and he enjoys life I mean life for a footballer can be intense it's nice when people start recognizing you and then if they could stop then immediately that would be really good but in Munich especially it's a good city it's a good city for that I think they have the most normal life in the world, what you can have. Weather is good. Food is good. Everybody loves them, not only him, Mrs. and the kids and stuff like that. So it's really, I think it's a good match. It's a really good match. And when he signed for them and for the amount of money, I think it was like, whoa, I don't think we get a lot of that back, to be honest.

28:36But he better performs and he's performing on a top level. He's a super ambassador for England. in Germany. Nice guy, humble guy and world class player, I have to say. No, agreed, agreed. Jürgen, yeah, before you go, we've got a campaign at the moment. I don't know if you've seen the state of the shin pads in the modern day. They're too small. I don't know when you played, did you have a big shin pad when you were playing? Massive. Yeah. I think the shin pads of ice hockey players nowadays are smaller than mine. But I had never the very small ones. I needed a feeling big one right yeah so well Chris Stark is a host on my podcast I mean you have more shin I have a long shin I don't think anyone's got a long shin but I'd like to present you with your very own shin pads he's a courtesy of Chris Stark who's a co-host on our podcast that's so so nice not that I need them no but it's a nice gift I can't read them at all when I miss it under the table yeah that's it man maybe if you come in with And you don't realise.

29:41Yeah, yeah. It takes you really hard. Yeah, man. Come on, don't do that. Don't say that. Don't be saying that. There you go. Put them on. They're for you anyway. You'll compare them during the other podcasts. Yeah. Well, listen, you're more than welcome to come on that as well. But yeah, just one last question before you go. Just on your phone, do you know what network service provider you are? I have two. I have two phones. You have two phones? Yeah. Are they different? You have two different? You do, really? Yeah. So what do you mind me asking? no I don't know you're probably thinking why am I asking I think I still have to pay the whatever yeah so T-Mobile T-Mobile yeah and R1 A1 in Austria the Red Bull yeah yeah it's A1 and T-Mobile and why no it's a very valid question I think you can tell a lot about a man with his network provider Chris Stark who's a host on our podcast is with Gifgaf and we weren't sure i'll be honest with you i've never heard of it what yes say it again give gaff no no and what does it say about him i mean exactly is he a weirdo is he a weirdo just because yeah no if you don't know mine they are very serious serious providers yeah that's a proper provider like you you get you get service wherever you are in the world no problem yeah actually i can can I say that tier A1 didn't work in USA oh okay alright I'm still waiting for that the service guy calls me back yeah but telecom was good but that's been good yeah absolutely legend honestly I could talk to you all day really really enjoyed it thank you so much yeah keep it up my friend thank you yeah thank you so much

31:36okay Jürgen Klopp ladies and gentlemen. Mate, how good is that? Oh, what a legend. What's he like? I've never sort of really met him. He just seems like so down to earth. You'd love to have a beer with him. You'd love to go to a night out with him. He's a good laugh. He's a good crack. You'd love to play football for him. Well, let me tell you, we did have a beer with him, right? And it was perfect. I mean, listen, I don't know how far I can go with this chap because, you know, it's after hours. Yeah. You know, he switched off. Yeah. But no, the boys will tell you, I ended up getting in the DJ booth and I said I said look if I get up there you lot have got to come in and join me I sent it to Dortmund lads everyone and Jürgen Jürgen was front of second Jersey Dudek Jürgen Klopp having it front row front row love it throwing some shapes couldn't believe what I was seeing nothing disappointed oh it was brilliant yeah he was everything he hoped for because really really nice fella you know so interesting hearing about Liverpool and you know the players that he had and you know coming up against Manchester City and you know he was talking about losing two Premier Leagues really and two European Cups yeah 97 points and 92 points they lost one game and didn't win the league that's mad so he could have had three Premier Leagues and three Champions Leagues yeah incredible you know and yeah absolutely sensational and he was he come for he come for our man Chris with a bit of gif gaff banter yeah I don't know what you thought of that Chris you know you just couldn't believe you're on gif gaff thoughts I mean I just can't believe in all that chat and you're finding out all this stuff about his man management of Salah you know the importance of sign-ins for Liverpool it's an unbelievable chat by the way Crouchy I've got a feeling it's going to go everywhere but you somehow still managed to get him commenting on Gif Gaff it's absolutely phenomenal and again like only this podcast only this podcast goes from a chat About the Champions League to Klopp's comments on mobile networks.

33:43It really is. It really is everything. I mean, how am I getting stick from Jurgen Klopp? I've never even met him.

33:56Yeah, I think it's incredible that he's giving you stick. But he's filming something for himself at the moment. I actually did. They asked me to do it. So I was chatting on that as well. And then they were following him. And then, you know, they'd asked me beforehand a load of questions, obviously quite serious about Jürgen Klopp. And then I go into talking about shin pads and, you know, phone networks. And I think they were just thinking, what the fuck is going on here? What kind of a ship are they running here? But I bet he loves that because there's so much seriousness around him with Liverpool as well.

34:29But when he's doing that, he must just think, this is absolutely brilliant. These are my kind of guys. Exactly right. And you know what? I think that is definitely the case because he probably answers those questions all the time. Exactly. These kind of curveballs. So when I said, you know, about coming on my podcast, he was like, yeah, no problem. He said, is it the one with your wife? And I said, oh, you know about that one? And he said, yeah, I love that one. He said, you got another one, have you? I can't imagine him watching the other one. Can you imagine him just sat at home giggling away?

35:03Yeah. Yeah, but he said, I told you about when I interviewed him years ago for TNT and he said about the Ant and Dec, you know, in the air thing that I did, where I was doing hide and seek. Yeah, he said he sometimes, when he's down, he sometimes watches that. I swear to you. Really? On my life. He's in his office just having a bit of downtime, just watching you and the laptop. What manager done that before? Oh, it was Aston Villa manager. he was watching you on the iPad on his laptop oh that was Una Emre Una Emre Una Emre yeah he was watching our pod yeah yeah

35:43when I caught him watching it he said look I'm doing some research he said I'm watching you I said wow obviously attention to detail absolutely amazing but I was thinking what's he seen that's what I was worried about what the hell has he seen yeah do you know what comes across with Klopp like he just seems so I know I can talk as I sit on a sun lounger on holiday, right? He seems so relaxed and he seems so sort of content and happy. Is that, because you know what, a lot of what we see with managers is when it's right at the stressful end of things. It's around firings. It's when there's pressure on a manager.

36:20Generally speaking, if a manager's doing well, you don't really talk about them the same way. So I think what's fascinating about your chat with him It's just seeing a manager in their glow, in a sort of contentment and a kind of pride in what he's achieved. What came across to you, Crouchy? Yeah, definitely felt that way. And bizarrely, there's a real aura around him. When he walks into the team room straight away, every player's standing up to greet him. and then I remember we were after the game for instance we there's a little room off the changing room at Anfield where the chef's there and they have a meal straight after the game so we had food straight after the minute he walks in the canteen everyone's it's a different atmosphere the minute he walks in and it was the same at the party after and then obviously Kenny so Kenny's obviously an absolute legend Ian Rush you know John Aldridge was there Sammy Lee Phil Thompson so many people that have won the league Egan done amazing things for Liverpool.

37:28Then Jürgen didn't really say much. And then before the game, he gave a speech. So we're all literally about to go out, right? Love it. And he goes, gather round and kind of gather round. You look to your left, you've got Kenny Dalgleish, you know, Ian Rush, John Aldridge, and then Jürgen's holding court and we're all round. And he's gone, he just gave this speech. I'm not joking. It was like goosebumps. And it was basically like you select group of players in this change room at the moment. He said, you've had the privilege of playing for this great club. You know, as if that wasn't enough, you've been asked to come back in front of 60 ,000 people that paid money to be here.

38:16To wear this shirt again and like look around you and see, look at all the legends that are here today. you know and you owe it to them to go out there and give a good account of yourself where everyone went oh my god class isn't it yeah not many can do that you know what I mean yeah and it kind of got us looking going like oh my god like you want to do you want to do well you know like yeah it was absolutely brilliant I know you are I know you asked him the question and you was around him most of the time do you think he's going to get back in to management I get the impression that there is a it's a pull that he's going to get back in I think he's really really enjoying himself and I think he's so content at the moment but I think in my opinion I think probably a year or two I think there will be a suspicion of him getting back love it what a guy what I love is he does that big motivational speech for you right and what an incredible moment that must have been and then at what point did you give him the shin pads that was that was the that was the morning of the game yeah so the shin pads was way before the game but it reminded me do you know it reminded me of when I remember I played David Beckham's UNICEF game at Old Trafford and I was sitting in the change room the home dress room at Old Trafford and I think playing that game was like Scholes, Beckham um trying to think who else was there maybe Nicky Bart maybe it was a few it was Man United and they were all sitting like maybe gigs as well and they were all sitting kind of where they'd sat and Alex Ferguson was given us an icon it's like an out of body experience because I was thinking like I was trying to put myself in that team of the 90s or something he's giving a speech I'm looking around like gigs back and I'm thinking fucking hell I'm pretending I was like Jesper Blomfist or something

40:06just for that moment do you know what I mean yeah because they've heard it all before but you've never done it so you just mould into just like yeah yeah yeah love it love it he does have a point though Klopp though just very quickly on that he does have a point right When you think about it, you are very lucky that you played for Liverpool. Just for this way that the fans remember you and the legacy of it. Sid, what do you think about that? It does feel like you play for Liverpool. There is always that perception it's more than a club. It's a club that lives with you forever. It's part of your personality.

40:43It lives with you forever. But you are lucky that you signed, right? when you play against Liverpool it's a special club and when you play for Liverpool you're always part of their family and then when you get invited back to them days there it shows when you get a full house as well that turn up to watch you guys play so well you know the LFC Foundation and the Forever Reds right so Forever Reds is something once you play for Liverpool you are then enrolled in the Forever Reds and they look after you like they paid for funerals of ex-players you know players who have you know some treatment if they're not well oh really you know things like that like so they are looked after yeah yeah yeah so it goes way beyond like you know they're actually helping edge players you know I don't know if every club does that no chance yeah no and I think there is something special about the football club and you know you know people there's haters out there that will you know always gonna hate but once you play for the club it touches you and I think when you speak to the players now a lot of them have got tattoos of the club you know and their kids are fans and once you've become a part of it, it kind of, it consumes you a bit.

41:50Lovely. That's class. All right then, should we get into the best league in the world? Let's do it.

42:00Okay, it's incredibly tight at the moment. You know, well, Chris needs a bluey, but I'm sure, I'm sure he'll get it. He wasn't far off a nine-pointer at one stage. Exactly. All to play for, I think. All to play for. It's incredibly tight. If you're watching on YouTube, I think we can put it off on the screen now. but this next part of the podcast is supported by Paddy Power it's the big weekend fixture it's Chelsea versus Manchester City good game this one great game big game can you see Chelsea getting a result Chelsea are the slight underdogs at 2-1 even though it's at Stamford Bridge City as you imagine will be favourites 11-10 repeat of last meeting where City 1-2-1 is 7-1 so a missionary Chris one of your favourite positions is 7-1.

42:47A mad stat there. Chelsea last beat Man City in the Champions League final in 2021. It's the last time Chelsea beat Manchester City. It's a mad stat. Which is pretty crazy. So for all of you, those at home, Chris is on Gif Gaf, obviously. He's back. Sorry, lads. Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Gif Gaf playing outside. I think my data, I'm running out of data quick. So can we crack on with the predictions. Let's do it, mate. Okay, well, do you want to fire in with your prediction then, mate? Chelsea and Man City? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think a weird one. It's really hard to predict these. Weird season.

43:26I think it will bite me, this one, but I'm going to go Chelsea 1, City 3. 3-1 City. Like that. Yeah. I actually do a call with Paddy Power, right? And I did it on the way here and I said 3-1 City. You do a call with Paddy Power, is that not? Yeah, I do it weekly. Yeah, is that not? is that not like inside trading I'm sorry apologies I don't normally do it beforehand that feels controversial to me we might review that at the end of the season there could be points I think there should be points stocked for that that's inside trading no way what have I done what have I said it's a great shout we'll have a word with the PG Roman Amell we might have to because that that feels like that feels like a potential point start but we'll continue for now what do you what do you think there mate well I fancied 3-1 I really did you can still go 3-1 if you want well I could do but it's not it's not any integrity is it of the football league I am going to go 2-1 Nancy okay you hear them foreign birds by the way yeah they're great it's a lovely sound that very therapeutic always enjoy looking at the foreign birds when I'm over there

44:45right let me get this prediction out of the way I'm going to go I'm going to go for a horny draw 1-1 you've got me thinking on the foreign birds on the foreign birds okay well we got Ponies boost each pick a leg of the crouch pod what are the odds on that boosted by 20 % put on the website or the app. I'm going to go first goal scorer Semenyo. He's got some goals. Yeah, good shout. Okay, I'll have a player to be carded. I'll go for Wesley Fafana. All right, I'm going to go two plus shots on target Erling Haaland. Okay, the odds are correct at the time of recording. Please gamble responsibly. Okay, next game is Sunderland v Spurs.

45:29This is, I think this is a really tough one. When I see these games come up, I thought all these games are tough. Sunderland, pretty decent at home. Spurs, when you're down there it's tough it is tough I know they've got the new manager in there at the moment they need a bounce but you know De Zerbe so what would you make of him is he going to be a success he will definitely go in there and you know get some kind of lift if it's a big enough lift to get him out of trouble I don't know long term I'm not too sure listen on the training pitch tactically unbelievable but I think at the moment they don't need tactics they just need someone to just set a rocket in there and really just get him going, which he can do that.

46:10This is tough. This is really tough. I'm going to go for a Spurs bounce here. I'm going to go for an away win for Tottenham Hotspur. I'm going to say 1-0 Spurs. Chris? I don't know. I don't think it's high score in this, but I don't think they're going to get quite the bounce that's needed. I think there's a huge expectation on this manager, but I think this is now successive managers. And I think because of that, I don't know if this makes any sense to you guys. I think that new manager bounce slightly goes away because it hasn't happened so far. So I get his credentials. I get the long-term view.

46:57He's obviously a good manager long-term. I hear he's on absolute wedge for it, if rumours are to be believed. But I think it's not enough. and I'm going to go 1-0. All right. With the integrity of the Football League, I'm going to go 1-0 Sunderland. Oh. It kills me to say that because I want Spurs to get out of it. I really do. I still think they will. I just think Sunderland at home is a difficult one. Okay, Chris, Forest Villa, take us away. I don't know. I've got a number in my head here. I think I see a Villa win. it's whether Forest have enough to get a goal I just don't see it it's all gone a bit flat I'm going to go I'm going to go Villa 2 Forest 0 I like that it's a big game for Villa I know it's a big game for both of these it's a huge game for Villa to get into into Champions League and Forest are down there I think Villa get this done I'm going to go for 3-1 really Aston Villa away win okay I'm going to go Forest oh whoa Cat amongst the foreign pigeons I'm putting the cat straight in amongst the foreign birds

48:20I'm going to go Forest 2-1 Oh well that concludes the league for this week Good luck gentlemen Thank you to Jürgen Klopp for spending time with us Thank you to to Liverpool Football Club for allowing us to speak to Jürgen and some of the other players as well you know all of that will be coming soon as well but enjoyed that lads and hopefully we'll reconvene soon Chris enjoy your holiday looks stunning where you are yeah thank you well I'm on a family holiday so it's been nice to get away under the guise of work here to have this little chat and look forward to seeing you boys soon get back to them birds mate send us some pictures of those foreign birds alright then

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