Klopp: Mourinho not bothered about style of play – that´s why he´s so successful

Jose Mourinho is arguably the greatest manager in the game because he is only concerned about results and not what people think of his style of play, according to Jurgen Klopp.

Tottenham are one place better off than reigning champions Liverpool on goal difference ahead of Wednesday’s top-of-the-table clash at Anfield, where Spurs have won just once in their past 26 top-flight visits.

Mourinho’s men have gone 11 games without defeat in the league since losing to Everton on the opening weekend, a run that has seen them beat Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, as well as drawing with Chelsea.

Spurs had just 30 per cent possession of the ball in their recent meeting with Arsenal but still won the north London derby clash 2-0 thanks to goals from Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.

They rank exactly midway in the table in terms of average possession per game – 50 per cent – but Mourinho has repeatedly insisted he is not bothered about how much of the ball his side sees.

Klopp, who described Tottenham as a “results machine” under Mourinho, agrees with the Portuguese that winning is the most important aspect.

4 – None of Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City or Man Utd have won in the Premier League this weekend, the first time they’ve all played and failed to win in a weekend since 6-7 February 2016. Unusual.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 13, 2020

“Mourinho has been around a long time and has played all different systems, a lot of different styles,” Klopp said. “As a coach you have to adapt and mix it up – that’s one of the best skills of Jose Mourinho. 

“In the end it is all about getting results; maybe that is the best skill of Jose. In this precise moment he is not bothered about style, just the results, and that makes him one of – if not the – most successful managers around. I respect that a lot.” 

Asked if Mourinho has reinvented himself since his previous job at Manchester United, Klopp joked: “I don’t know. It looks like it when you see him on Instagram! 

“Apart from that, he’s just showing he has the experience to do what he has to do. He asked for time and obviously that has paid off.”

Tottenham have scored 24 goals so far this season, a tally bettered only by Chelsea and Liverpool, while their return of 10 goals conceded is the best in the division.

Spurs (three) also rank second only to Man United (four) for goals from fast breaks, all of which makes Tottenham a “proper package” in the view of Klopp.

“Tottenham have the quality of the top team 100 per cent,” he said. “When they have the ball, they show that, but they also defend like a top team and probably at this moment have the best counter-attacking movements out there. 

“They only need three passes to be in front of goal in a one-on-one situation. It’s not just that they play football and are not bothered about defending – they are a proper package at the moment.

Victor Wanyama scored this goal and it was very nice we enjoyed it pic.twitter.com/qjP4TNyhft

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 15, 2020

“But that doesn’t affect my confidence when I think about my team.”

Mourinho has never previously won away to Liverpool’s Klopp in five attempts in all competitions, making the German the manager he has faced most often away from home without ever tasting victory.

However, Klopp insists Wednesday’s tussle is about more than the two men in the dugout and what they have previously achieved between them.

“We don’t play each other. It is not one-v-one, Jose versus Jurgen. It’s two teams playing each other, and the preparation is normal,” he said.

“All teams get our respect. We have a little amount of time, so I can’t watch more Tottenham games than, say, Brighton [and Hove Albion] games. 

“It’s always the same for us. It is nothing to do with his legacy or the things I have won. It’s two good teams playing against each other – that’s my main focus.”