Chris Sutton believes Jurgen Klopp ‘is quite right’ to voice his annoyance regarding the atmosphere inside Anfield of late.
The German tactician was left frustrated by some supporters during Wednesday night’s League Cup defeat of West Ham and was witnessed turning round and angrily gesturing towards fans in the Main Stand.
Anfield is famous for its atmosphere and the way in which visiting players feel intimated when out on the pitch but most Reds fans will agree that noise levels have dropped inside L4 in recent weeks and months.
Former Premier League striker Sutton agrees with our German tactician’s comments and has said Liverpool ‘need the crowd with them’ when Arsenal visit tomorrow evening.
“Jurgen Klopp is quite right to moan about the crowd if that’s the way he feels,” he said on the It’s All Kicking Off podcast (cited by Daily Mail via Caught Offside).
“In fairness to Jurgen Klopp, he would be the best judge and would have understood and known the crowd and also realised the impact of his words, which it should have on the crowd.
“And if he said it, it’s because he feels it. It’s an enormous game at the weekend. They need the crowd with them. Anfield is famous for the atmosphere or has been famous for the atmosphere and they need to go again at the weekend.”
There are a number of reasons why the atmosphere inside Anfield isn’t quite what it once was.
A large portion of the ground is now full of corporate members, hospitality guests or tourists who cannot join in with chants because they simply don’t know them.
In addition to this, ticket prices continue to increase which means many of your traditional working class supporters are being priced out of attending games.
It’s not as if Anfield is silent, however, the crowd still continue to support the team through thick and thin and are there when they’re needed the most.
The amount of noise coming from the terraces often reflects the quality on show on the pitch so it’s fair to say it works both ways.
The power of Anfield will be needed tomorrow when Mikel Arteta’s side visit – a win for either side will see them sit at the top of the table on Christmas Day!
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