Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp claims English weather has not helped his team adapt to his philosophy
Klopp has overseen eight wins, five draws and three defeats across all competitions since taking over at Anfield
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that the weather in England has forced him to adapt his style of play.
The Merseyside club currently sit 10th in the Premier League table, the same position they were in when manager Brendan Rodgers was sacked in October.
Klopp has overseen eight wins, five draws and three defeats across all competitions since taking over at Anfield, with impressive victories over Manchester City, Chelsea and Southampton tempered by losses to Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Watford.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss has now said that his time at Liverpool could have started better if he did not have to contend with the English weather, particularly strong winds.
"The English game is not faster than the German game. Perhaps there are a few more sprints. But there is a different style of football here, partially due to the weather," Klopp told German newspaper Bild.
"The wind can be quite extreme in England. We are not familiar with that in Germany and you have to keep things simple. Stoke City's first goal against Manchester United was a perfect example of the extreme winds. Players who are not from the UK have to get used to the winds.
"I have to adapt my style of football as a result as well. Often, you are forced to keep things simple. And there are a lot more duels for the second ball here, and more duels in general. That makes the game even more intense."
Klopp made similar comments following his side’s narrow 1-0 victory over Swansea last month, when he claimed that wind was “the biggest enemy of football”.
“The wind was crazy because it changed all the time. For both teams it was really difficult,” he said at the time.
“In this time you cannot take this game and say ‘This is how football should be’. Wind is the biggest enemy of football but we did okay.
“Players can usually play better passes but it is not easy.
“This wasn’t our best performance but it was our best performance in a strong wind.”
Liverpool travel to the north-east tonight to face Sunderland, where winds are expected to be light by the 7.45pm kick-off time.
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