Jurgen Klopp On Sunderland
The Liverpool boss has been rightly irked about the build-up to Saturday's game being all about Steven Gerrard.
The former Reds skipper announced his retirement yesterday and Merseyside went mental. But Klopp grew tired of his pre-match press conference, ahead of Saturday's clash with Sunderland, becoming an excuse to discuss everyone's least favourite Scouser:
This is not the room I want to speak about this - I'm the wrong person to answer about Gerrard's standing in international football.
Stevie G is of course best known on Wearside for not being as Gerrard-esque as Lee Cattermole. Both men will be sadly missing from tomorrow's clash at Anfield.
And Stevie G is also enjoying a new wave of popularity thanks to his wife, Honey. Honey has, of course, taken the world of pop by storm. Just the other week, Honey G knocked 'Geordie-favourite', Sam Lavery, who hails from the Newcastle suburb of South Durham, out of the ITV talent show, The X-Factor.
For those you unfamiliar with current pop vogue, here's Honey G, wife of Stevie G, wearing her trademark Scouse outfit in a resplendent red tribute to Stevie's retirement.
But, Klopp was complimentary about Sunderland; and his assessment of David Moyes' side was as positive as we've seen from any opposition manager this season; though we're not sure if this was patronising, sarcastic or just Kloppy-playful.
Sunderland took six points out of their last two games, we only got four, so if you like they are the favourites for this game.
But the German, who has his Liverpool side second in the table, has done his homework on us. He noted:
They are one of the better teams at making high intensity sprints. They don't have the highest amount of possession which shows they are a counter-attacking team.
Anichebe is physically strong guy and everyone knows about Defoe. He's experienced, still quick and a really good striker.
And that is a fair assessment, but Klopp has bought into the rhetoric we have heard from other opposing managers this season in believing we are still in some sort of glorious post Allardyce-daze, saying Sunderland "are also strong from set-pieces".
Jurgen - we still haven't scored from one. Shhhhh.
The Players
Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne is oblivious to the battering he's about to take from Sunderland man-mountain, Victor Anichebe.
In an interview with the Reds' official website, Clyne has been bragging about his own ability:
[Klopp] likes his full-backs to join in with the play whenever they can, and also be solid defensively which helps my game.
We have been solid of late and not giving the opponents any chances to get a shot at goal and keeping it strong at the back.
You'll be needing a strong back with Big Vic all over it come Saturday, Nathaniel.
In truth, Clyne looks like he may be one chink in the Klopp armour. His defensive colleague, Joel Matip, is beginning to appear the far superior member of the Liverpool back-line.
Former Newcastle fan favourite, Georginio Wijnaldum, has described life at Anfield as "fun". Talking to Sky Sports, Geordie-Gini or whatever they called him on Tyneside, said:
If you don't win games, it's difficult to enjoy and see the fun in football.
Steve McClaren never had any issue with it, Gini.
The Scousers
As you might expect, some Liverpool fans are expecting Saturday's fixture to be a breeze. Forums and social media are lifting with expectation and condescension. The club that never does winning with good-grace are expecting six-goals and upwards against Sunderland's sorry defence which has conceded once in its last three hours.
But, a dive-bomb into a couple of Scouse forums reveals that the good folk of Merseyside have a deep-set fear of being crocked by their former nemesis, David Moyes, as this scally on forum redandwhitekop.com testifies:
Sense at last.