Niko Kovac appears far from being the frontrunner for the Liverpool manager job.

That said, fresh claims that the Croatian’s agents ‘have spoken to Liverpool FC’ will do little to allay fans’ fears ahead of the summer.

“Manager Niko Kovac was most recently released in Wolfsburg. Suddenly he is considered a candidate for Liverpool FC,” Christian Falk informed CaughtOffside in his Fact Files column.

“He himself publicly downplays the interest. However, I learned that his agents were actually in England. It is also true that his agents have spoken to Liverpool FC.

“The result: Kovac is not one of the top candidates at Liverpool. But it is also true that he is on an extended list of candidates who are not yet an issue but which the club is monitoring.”

Reds insider Neil Jones has since clarified that links to the soon-to-be-vacant Anfield job largely appears to be agent-manufactured.

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READ MORE: Worrying Liverpool trend has emerged from Atalanta win; Klopp will be tearing his hair out

READ MORE: Why Klopp had to tell off Alisson Becker in the first-half vs Atalanta

Next Liverpool manager: Niko Kovac?

With the greatest of respect to the former Bayern Munich boss… it just can’t be him, can it?

Barring a brief and unsuccessful stint with the former Bundesliga champions, Kovac’s CV and accolades just don’t scream perfect Jurgen Klopp replacement.

Fortunately, it seems a great deal more likely that Amorim will be the man to take over the reins at L4.

Boy, do we all need some good news amid what appears to be a disappointing end to the campaign.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘Agents have spoken to LFC’: Liverpool managerial candidate no one will have expected appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Christian Falk has named one out-of-work manager who Liverpool are reportedly ‘monitoring’ as a possible candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp.

In recent days, the Daily Mail dubbed Niko Kovac a possible contender for the Anfield job after his representatives apparently spoke with a few Premier League clubs during a meeting in London, although Neil Jones subsequently dismissed those links as an ‘agent-led story’.

However, the reliable German reporter hasn’t completely ruled out the 52-year-old from taking charge of the Reds, even if he’s not at the top of the club’s list as things stand despite his agents having spoken to a delegation from LFC.

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In his Fact Files for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Falk wrote: “Niko Kovac was most recently released in Wolfsburg. Suddenly he is considered a candidate for Liverpool FC. He himself publicly downplays the interest. However, I learned that his agents were actually in England.

“It is also true that his agents have spoken to Liverpool FC. The result: Kovac is not one of the top candidates at Liverpool. But it is also true that he is on an extended list of candidates who are not yet an issue but which the club is monitoring.”

READ MORE: ‘What does that tell us…’ – Jamie Carragher takes aim at two Premier League clubs in riposte to Liverpool’s critics

READ MORE: ‘Put him in Liverpool’s team’ – Ex-Arsenal striker says Premier League ace would be an upgrade on Reds 24y/o

One aspect where Kovac might have an edge over the likes of Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi is that he’s currently available and therefore wouldn’t require any negotiation with clubs, or any release clause to be paid.

However, if that’s probably the biggest plus in his favour, it doesn’t distinguish him as a manager for whom Liverpool should be moving heaven and earth to try and get in at Anfield.

The 52-year-old was given his marching orders by Wolfsburg last month after an abysmal run of one win in 15 matches, the type of sequence which’d be catastrophic for a club of the Reds’ ambitions and standing.

From Falk’s update, it seems that Kovac is on the periphery of LFC’s radar, someone whom they’ve earmarked as a possible candidate but by no means their first choice.

The scale of replacing a manager as legendary as Klopp isn’t to be taken lightly, and Liverpool need to push the boat out to try and land whoever they most want, rather than merely settling for a coach who’s several names down their wish list.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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This article was originally published on EOTK Insider, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Neil Jones’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on empireofthekop.com, please sign-up for the service here: empireofthekop.substack

Hello and welcome to my column with Empire of the Kop! You can read about all the latest updates around Liverpool Football Club and its forays into the transfer market right here, every week, with EOTK Insider. Thanks for giving this a read and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Today’s top stories:

• What life without Ruben Amorim might look like…
• Could Niko Kovac be the next Liverpool manager?
• And further updates on Luis Diaz, Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and more!

Crystal Palace review

There were a couple of familiar themes at play again against Crystal Palace. A slow start and wastefulness cost Liverpool, the latter in the second half in particular! It is strange, isn’t it, because I don’t think Liverpool played well, and even if they’d come away from the game with a 2-1 win, I would have said, ‘Wow, that was a tough one, they sort of got away with one a little bit,’ or ‘they’ve had to dig deep for that one’. They still created a lot of chances. I saw an Instagram post this morning of two side-by-sides of Curtis Jones clean through and Diogo Jota on the six-yard box – how neither of those ended up in the net is beyond me! Then there’s the Mo Salah one at the end where you’re thinking, ‘That has to be a goal!’ Nunez had one earlier in the second-half as well, so there were four great, real chances in a match that, on another day, you might have ended up taking all four or two or three. At the same time, I think Liverpool were the architects of their own downfall.

I did some research and found that Liverpool have gone 1-0 down 15 times in the first 25 minutes of a game this season. Whilst we can always somewhat rely on Liverpool’s resilience and ability to figure games out, go in at half-time and make subs, and eventually win the game, the more times you go to the well, of course, the more you’re increasing the chance that one day the well will run dry. It looked like it might have run dry in the second-half against Manchester United, it looked like it ran dry against Atalanta on Thursday in the Europa League, and again on Sunday. It depends on your viewpoint, but the only saving grace is what happened to Arsenal on Sunday, or whether it makes you feel even worse about Liverpool’s result. When you look now, Liverpool had a chance to take complete control of the Premier League on Sunday in a home game against a team in the bottom half of the table. There will be a lot of regrets waking up on Monday morning but also a lot of resignation, not just amongst the fans, but I think a few of the players might feel that was the chance missed and there won’t be another one.

The emotional drain of having to be on a knife edge so often is an important factor. You look at all the great moments Liverpool have experienced this season and they have been knife-edge moments, haven’t they? You look at the Carabao Cup final victory, the great late win against Nottingham Forest and the roaring comeback at Newcastle. They’ve all been when Liverpool have been right up against it. It says a lot about the team’s resilience, character and quality that they’ve been able to do this so regularly. But when you get to this stage of the season, you want as quiet a life as possible; you want routine, you want the kind of result you see Manchester City get over Luton Town (5-1) on Saturday, where you have to exert yourself but not absolutely drain yourself physically, technically and emotionally. We know, of course, that Liverpool aren’t really that kind of team, but when they were for that period in 2019, that’s when they steamrolled the league, when they became that game-winning machine. What they’ve been this season is really, really rugged and resilient, not to mention consistently able to dig out these results.

Another thing that has to be mentioned, and it’s easy to forget, is the reality of this Liverpool side being a very new team. There are a lot of players here who are experiencing this for the first time – and not just the ones signed last summer! You look at the younger players that have come into the side and were around the great Liverpool sides under Jurgen Klopp but weren’t front and centre at the time. There are also those who haven’t been involved in a Premier League title challenge on an active basis like Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Conor Bradley and the like. There’s a great deal of newness around this – and it’s not just those players who may have underperformed; you look at the experienced players like Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate who have had a couple of poor games. All this adds up to Liverpool potentially coming up short.

There was always the danger that they might. I thought there was a chance they could win the league and I was under the impression that if they won at Old Trafford the momentum could maybe carry Liverpool to the title, but there was always a chance Liverpool could come up short. I think a lot of people outside of Liverpool suspected their pedigree wasn’t quite as strong as Manchester City or even Arsenal. That said, there are still six games to go. You look at the league table and think, ‘If Arsenal can beat at home by Aston Villa, Manchester City could lose at Tottenham!’ Arsenal also have to play Tottenham, for what it’s worth, so there is the potential for twists and turns. The one worry that I have now, and the one worry that’s fair to have around Liverpool, is even if the other two slip up, you wonder if Liverpool are going to be faultless. I think they’ll have to be if they’re going to win the league and I’m just not sure whether they’re in the position at this moment in time to win the last six.

End-of-season decisions

There are a couple of big decisions to be made with contracts and Salah’s obviously one of the three that needs to be sorted. I’ve been on record as saying I would let him see out his contract and take out another year, but I don’t think Liverpool will. There’s obviously Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract and I personally expect that to be sorted. I also expect Virgil van Dijk to get a new contract. In terms of the rest, if you look at the ones who aren’t coming to the end of their contract or who are in the mid-peak age, if you like, in their early to mid-20s – there are some decisions to be made here. Obviously, Luis Diaz has been linked with a move away from Liverpool quite recently and there was some talk about his contract. You make a case either way here; you could say a great offer would be too good to turn down and you could get a player comparable or at least as good or better than Diaz, or you can make the case that he’s been really good for Liverpool and carried them through a tough period of the season and he deserves to be treated as a star. That depends on your preference.

I think a lot of people might have a similar opinion about Darwin Nunez. I’m personally a big fan of his, but I suspect a number of people might get to a point where they think after two seasons, ‘Do we need to be brutal? Or does the team need to change in the way it’s set up to really get the best out of him?’ The centre-back position is definitely an area that needs another body, regardless of who the next manager is. Though, if the next manager plays with three centre-backs then, of course, that adds to it! I still think you’re in the same position with Ibou Konate when you signed him where, though he’s a really good player with serious potential, he misses too many games and you spend a lot of the season having to compensate for his absence.

I think all of the signings brought in last summer were brought in for the long-term, but there will be some who look at Ryan Gravenberch and want to see a lot more from him. What would happen if a bid came in for him? For me, there are no obvious ones where they’re flashing red on the dashboard, but there are a lot of ones you look at and wonder what might happen if £50m was slapped on the table for them. There are a few players at Liverpool at the moment where if £50m was on the table, there would be a split in terms of what you’d do with them, whether you’d sell or keep.

Ruben Amorim

I think Ruben Amorim has been very sensible in his comments to the press. They’re on the brink of winning the league, with a cup final also coming up. I think he’s in a position where he doesn’t want any further distractions. He’s already made it clear that he doesn’t want to engage in further talk over his future between now and the end of the season. That’s perfectly fair! We’ve spoken before about managers and who might succeed Jurgen Klopp, but it’s very easy to forget about the club or the fans that manager represents. They have to be fair to them and put them front and centre in this situation. It’s only right that whilst Sporting are in a position where they’ll have the perfect end to the season, he’s not dampening the flames or upsetting the apple cart by saying he’s dreaming of going to Liverpool. You don’t want to take away anything from what has been a magnificent season. There has to be a chance that he does decide he’s happy with his lot with Sporting, but it would be unlikely to me.

He’s a young manager and quite clearly an ambitious manager. You’ve seen some of the interviews he’s given and he’s spoken in the past about aiming high. He knows he’s in demand, doesn’t he? He’s fully aware that it’s not a deep pool of managers at this moment but there are a lot of clubs that are fishing in it. He know he’s going to have at least one good option, maybe more, this summer. I think he probably would leave Sporting this summer, but, like I say, he’s still got a job to do – and so do Liverpool! Sporting are four points clear of Benfica and in a really good position to win a league. I think he’s done the right thing by his club by cutting down those stories and making sure every press conference isn’t dominated by managerial talk.

Niko Kovac links to Liverpool

I saw the headline and it made more sense for his agents who have been sounding out Premier League clubs. That feels like an agent-led story to me. I don’t think Liverpool will be in the running for Niko Kovac. It will be someone with a lot more recent pedigree.

Where would Liverpool go without Amorim?

It would leave Liverpool in an imperfect situation with two of their least imperfect options – in Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim – gone. Whoever Liverpool appoint, it’s going to be a manager where you think, ‘I like this and this about him but there’s always this and there’s this issue’. You’re going to be in that position regardless, even if it is Amorim. What it does is it puts Liverpool in a position where there are probably more of the negative aspects to contend with in terms of any manager they subsequently bring in. Steven Gerrard, Julian Nagelsmann and Ange Postecoglou will probably be on that betting list, but even as I’m listing those options I’m almost mentally crossing them off. It would leave Liverpool with a really tough decision to make – not to suggest they don’t already have one! They have a situation where whoever comes in will have a very, very tough job on their hands. The other fly in the ointment is that there are a few other clubs in Europe, like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, that look like they’ll be searching for another manager. If not now, certainly in another month or two.

The post EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? & more appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Neil Jones has dismissed rumours surrounding one manager who’s recently been touted as a possible candidate for Liverpool.

Over the weekend, the Daily Mail claimed that Niko Kovac has come into contention to replace Jurgen Klopp, with the 52-year-old’s agents believed to have spoken with a few Premier League clubs during a recent visit to London.

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However, speaking to EOTK Insider, the journalist doesn’t think that the former Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg boss is a credible candidate for the upcoming vacancy at Anfield.

Jones said: “I saw the headline and it made more sense for his agents who have been sounding out Premier League clubs. That feels like an agent-led story to me. I don’t think Liverpool will be in the running for Niko Kovac. It will be someone with a lot more recent pedigree.”

READ MORE: Liverpool unlikely to block player’s exit if he wishes to leave this summer amid Premier League interest

READ MORE: (Video) Darren Bent is starting to get tormented by Liverpool player who ‘does so many good things’

Kovac’s name appeared to spring from nowhere when it was first mentioned in tandem with the Liverpool job, and his most recent managerial post wouldn’t offer any great encouragement that he’d be a success at Anfield.

The Croatian was sacked by Wolfsburg last month following a nightmare sequence of just one win in 15 matches, which came away to the Bundesliga’s bottom club Darmstadt in December (Transfermarkt).

He left Die Wölfe 14th in the table at the time of his dismissal, not exactly the kind of placing which’d have clubs of LFC’s stature moving heaven and earth to secure his services.

It’s hard to imagine that Liverpool would have Kovac higher on their list of managerial candidates than Ruben Amorim, who’s currently on course to win a second league title in four years at Sporting Lisbon and has been given a glowing character reference by one of his former players in Fulham’s Joao Palhinha.

We agree with Jones – the rumours surrounding the 52-year-old and the Anfield job appear to be nothing more than his agents putting out feelers ahead of a summer which’ll likely see a frantic merry-go-round of managers in England and across Europe.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

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Yet another name has seemingly entered the frame in terms of potential candidates for the next Liverpool manager.

Ruben Amorim currently appears to be the frontrunner to succeed Jurgen Klopp, although that hasn’t prevented other coaches from being touted as possible contenders for the role.

According to the Daily Mail, the ‘surprise name’ of Niko Kovac has now come into contention, with the 52-year-old’s representatives having been in London recently, amid reports that they spoke with multiple Premier League clubs ahead of potential managerial changes in the summer.

READ MORE: (Video) TNT Sports pundits predict every Liverpool result to end of season in title race verdict

READ MORE: Jamie Carragher names four Liverpool players he’d like to see starting second leg v Atalanta

The former Croatia, Bayern Munich and Monaco boss is currently out of work, having been dismissed by Wolfsburg last month following a miserable run of just one win in his last 15 matches (Transfermarkt).

His time with the Bavarian giants ended in 2019 after a 5-1 thrashing by his previous club Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he won the DFB-Pokal.

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In his favour, he instilled a relentless work rate inside his first few weeks with Wolfsburg, making them one of the hardest-running teams in the Bundesliga (ESPN), a trait with which Klopp’s Liverpool are also associated.

However, Kovac’s side were also known for being slow to progress the ball and enabling opposition defences to frustrate them with a low block (ESPN), something which isn’t likely to endear himself to the Merseyside faithful.

The report didn’t specify whether LFC were one of the English clubs with whom his agents met during their recent visit to London, so we’ll have to wait and see if further outlets corroborate these initial links.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

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A former teammate of reported Liverpool sporting director candidate Jorg Schmadtke has described him as ‘a smart guy’.

The 59-year-old has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Julian Ward in the role at Anfield, with The Telegraph going as far as to claim that he’s set to take the reins on Merseyside.

Wolfsburg manager Niko Kovac, who worked under him at the Bundesliga club and also played alongside him for Bayer Leverkusen, has spoken to ESPN (via Liverpool Echo) to share some insight on the LFC-linked executive.

The Croatian said of Schmadtke: “I played with him in Leverkusen so we were teammates and he was with me half-a-year in Wolfsburg. He’s a smart guy, nice guy, he’s a funny guy, he has a nice humour.

“Sometimes someone isn’t understanding his humour but I understood it very well so I think he has the qualities to work in the best league in the world. 

“The Bundesliga is also one of the top five but everybody knows the best players, the best coaches they are in England and he is now or maybe in England.”

READ MORE: ‘Maybe…’ – Journalist cites some factors which could convince 24 y/o target of Liverpool move

READ MORE: ‘I wanted to…’ – Premier League player explains why he snubbed Liverpool despite being in talks

The 59-year-old oversaw several successful transfers during his time at Wolfsburg, notably including current Manchester United loanee Wout Weghorst.

He also worked wonders as sporting director at Alemannia Aachen in the 2000s, when the club had a spell in the Bundesliga, reached the DFB-Pokal final and even played in the UEFA Cup, a remarkable feat for a side who now play in the fourth tier in Germany.

However, some Liverpool fans may be concerned about Schmadtke’s reputation as an abrasive character, having clashed with numerous managers (including Julian Nagelsmann) during his previous roles and got into trouble with the authorities over fiery comments (Daily Mail).

He’s known not to spare referees from strong criticism, either, having once been fined for calling match officials ‘eierkoppe’ – which loosely translates as ‘eggheads’ – over a controversial penalty given against Koln during his time with the club (Daily Mail).

With Jurgen Klopp recently charged by the FA over a run-in with Paul Tierney after the 4-3 win over Tottenham (BBC Sport), the English authorities mightn’t be too enthused if he takes a major role in the Premier League.

Not that Liverpool and their supporters would care in the slightest if Schmadtke comes in at Anfield and replicates the kind of impact made by Ward’s predecessor Michael Edwards.

EOTK Insider: The two-time gold medalist who is the only man to sign for Liverpool and Everton on two separate occasions

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Liverpool only beat Bayern Munich because of how much money Jurgen Klopp has spent in the last few years – that is the incredible view of the German champion’s coach Niko Kovac.

The Croatian clearly has not taken his team’s European exit well and has been under pressure this season having made a tough start to his first season in the job.

To claim that Klopp has spent a lot, though, is simply untrue. Kovac has conveniently ignored the money brought in through the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and several other players in that time.

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Reds star man a doubt ahead of Fulham clash

https://twitter.com/eMiaSanMia/status/1106560658211041280

The Reds were simply better than Bayern over the two legs, though tactics and coaching far more than money invested. Kovac’s claim is a lazy excuse that he has said purely to deflect from his own shortcomings.

With FC Porto to come in the quarter-finals, the Reds have a great chance to make the semi-finals for the second time in two seasons. It won’t be easy, but having performed so well against Bayern, the players know they have it in them to progress.

The post Bayern boss Niko Kovac makes ridiculous excuse for Champions League exit appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac has paid Liverpool a huge compliment following his side’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of our superb Reds.

The Croatian told Sky Sports Germany that Jurgen Klopp’s team were the rightful winners, after what was actually a pretty comfortable 90 minutes.

“I have to congratulate Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool,” he said. “They were clearly the better side over the two games.”

Niko Kovač: "I have to congratulate Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool. They were clearly the better side over the 2 games" pic.twitter.com/HwrtARYoZG

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) March 13, 2019

Klopp was over the moon, naturalIy, especially considering his long-standing rivalry with the German giants:

“It’s a big, big, big step for us (to win here). We have set a mark for LFC that this wonderful club is really at the top of the landscape of European football. Tonight we proved it a little bit.”

The Reds now march on to the quarter finals of the Champions League. We could face Manchester City, Manchester United, Spurs, Juventus, Ajax, Porto or Barcelona in the next round.

We asked you which of the non-English clubs you’d like to get – and this is what you said:

Which non-English team would you like most in the quarters?

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) March 13, 2019

The majority of people voting clearly want us to take another trip to Portugal!

We can’t blame them; last season we dominated Porto over two legs, including a rampant 5-0 away win.

The Reds march on in Europe! Allez! Allez! Allez!

The post Check out what Kovac said on Liverpool after 3-1 thumping… appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac is certainly not taking Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool lightly…

There was a short time when we were underdogs when participating in European competition, having not done much for a while, but since Klopp got us to the Europa League Final in 2016, the whole continent has been wary of our threat.

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According to Kovac, Bayern will have to be on top form to beat us – as our ability to transition through the lines is the best in the business.

“Myself and a lot of other coaches know Liverpool are the strongest team in transition play we need to have a strong midfield and attack and a good balance between attack and defence,” he said, reported in the Echo.

“If we leave one of the strong attackers in this team it could all be over.

“We are talking about Liverpool, and not just any team. It’s the creme de la creme and the best of the best in European football – world football actually.”

Often Liverpool fans actually criticise our transition play, which can get slowed down in midfield – especially away from home when we set up defensively.

But Kovac’s comments prove what a highly respected side Klopp has put together.

Tonight, we reckon the boss will deploy a solid central three, which will definitely include Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum – who will be join by either captain Jordan Henderson or vice-skipper James Milner.

Hopefully the attackers take their chances when they arise – as Bayern are going to have the majority of the ball and will cause our superb defence problems.

The post Kovac’s big claim on what Liverpool are Best in the World at… appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

We’re entirely focussed on the clash with Manchester United today, but there’s been an interesting development in Germany that could influence the Champions League Last 16 second-leg with Bayern Munich.

On Saturday, Kingsley Coman tore a thigh muscle, which should keep him out of action for a few weeks at least, Bayern’s official website announced.

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The Frenchman was Bayern’s most dangerous player against us at Anfield – and with Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller already out of the away leg, the attacking options at Niko Kovac’s disposal will be limited if Coman cannot start.

In his place Franck Ribery will potentially play, with Serge Gnabry, who caused Andy Robertson issues all night earlier this week, on the right flank.

Bayern also have Josh Kimmich suspended, meaning Rafinha will likely play right-back.

Liverpool have Virgil van Dijk back and the Dutchman will obviously be crucial to our chances of keeping Bayern out.

The key for us is that Bayern will have to attack, which will hopefully provide us opportunities on the counter – which were not available at Anfield.

The post Maybe Bayern’s most important player has torn a thigh muscle appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac offered an apology to Jurgen Klopp at full-time of his side’s 0-0 draw at Anfield after forgetting to shake his opposite number’s hand.

The pair traded words at the final whistle after Kovac had left to congratulate his players for their performance before meeting with Klopp on the touchline.

All was evidently resolved moments later as both managers played down the incident in their respective post-match press conferences.

Speaking after the game, Kovac said, per Sky Sports: “We were on English soil. In Germany it is normal when games end you shake hands with your players.”

“In England, first the coaches shake hands. So I did what I did in Germany, said sorry and made up for it. And in Germany we will do it as we do it in Germany.”

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Juventus official speaks out on Mohamed Salah rumours

Liverpool’s Champions League Round of 16 contest remains finely-poised heading into the second leg at Munich, with the two sides cancelling each other out on Merseyside.

Klopp’s men were perhaps the architects of their own downfall in stages as they struggled to supply the clinical finishing that their chances deserved.

An unusual lack of conviction in the final third was aided by a stern display from a make-shift centre-back pairing of Joel Matip and Fabinho, who kept Robert Lewandowski quiet for much of the night.

It needed only a look at Bayern’s defensive setup and the attacking restrictions on full-backs Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba to recognise the respect Kovac had for Liverpool’s threat.

The post Why Bayern boss Niko Kovac apologised to Jurgen Klopp at full-time appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jurgen Klopp could be seen having a heated discussion with Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac when the referee’s final whistle blew at Anfield this evening.

We’re not sure what the exchange was about, but perhaps it could be that the boss was unhappy with Bayern’s time-wasting tactics which Manuel Neuer and co. employed towards the end of the 90 minutes.

https://twitter.com/TheSwypeSports/status/1097981136549171200

Klopp never got on with Bayern during his time with Borussia Dortmund, so there is a clear rivalry. The only important thing, though, is that we are in a good position to progress given Bayern did not manage to score an away goal.

READ MORE:
(Video) Hendo turns into Xabi Alonso with sensational through ball

The dispute might have started with this moment:

Kovac has just gesticulated that Klopp should get a pair of glasses over that last throw in that went to Liverpool instead of Bayern… surely he can see Klopp is already wearing glasses

— Peter Staunton (@petermstaunton) February 19, 2019

Whatever it was caused by, hostilities will be resumed in Germany in about a month’s time.

We have every reason to believe the Reds can get through to the quarter-finals, provided we perform in the same manner at the Allianz Arena as we did tonight at Anfield.

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Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac says ‘every shot is a goal’ for his team in a defensive sense at the moment, and that he can see Liverpool causing them a lot of problems.

Bayern are two points behind Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race, but have played a game more.

In Kovac’s first season at the club since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern have not performed at their best. Last time out against Augsburg, they got the job done, but conceded twice, winning 2-3.

According to Football365, Kovac said: “[Augsburg’s] second goal is a good example. The second ball with all that room in the back is something that can’t happen: Liverpool would punish us for that sort of mistake.

“Every shot is a goal at the moment. When we have the ball, we don’t play like I expect the team to play.”

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There is absolutely every chance that the Reds can get at this Bayern backline, not least if we fly out of the traps and get an early goal. Anfield will be raucous and a fast start is surely imminent.

If the Germans are vulnerable, Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane can certainly expose them. If we can take a lead of a couple of goals to Germany, with Virgil van Dijk back from suspension for the second leg, that would be a fantastic position to be in.

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