In March, Erik ten Hag’s team were humbled 7-0 at Anfield by their arch-rivals.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has given little notice to Manchester United’s present problems, believing that the fact that his team was among the first to disclose their flaws is irrelevant ahead of Sunday’s match.

Erik ten Hag’s side were humiliated 7-0 by their arch-rivals at Anfield in March, the largest defeat for either side in the clubs’ 211-match history. United crumbled, conceding three times in a seven-minute spell either side of half-time, and shipping four more in 22 minutes late on as the hosts ran riot.

Those flaws have been exploited by a number of other clubs this season, though not to the same level, with United losing half of their 24 games in all competitions to pile pressure on Ten Hag.

“I never like when the headlines about United are not great before we play because it’s like ‘OK, then it’s the game where they can put everything right,'” Klopp says of the old foe.

“The more negative things said about them, the stronger they will appear.” That is always true. That bothers me.

“I don’t follow United closely enough to know what the issue is, but I saw Erik ten Hag was manager of the month last month and they were the team in form in the previous month, so how can it be all wrong?” I simply don’t get it.

“The situation with Manchester United – don’t get me wrong, it’s not important for us because we’re just preparing for our team.”

“I try to understand the situation of the opponent before a game, I really do, because I think it is important to know why they are motivated and want to put things right and sometimes I tell the players (his opinions) and sometimes I don’t tell the players.”

Prior to their humiliation at Anfield last season, United had made a late charge into the title race, with eight victories and one defeat in an 11-match run.

Ten Hag’s sixth-placed side is currently 10 points behind current leaders Liverpool, and an eighth Premier League defeat this season would almost surely destroy their already distant aspirations of catching up to their opponents.

However, Klopp insists that putting additional agony on their long-term enemies is not a motivator.

“No. I wonder if I’ve ever done something like that… I’d probably say no. “There is one thing we strive for on a match day, and that is three points,” he continued.

“What if something helps with motivation?” If there were four matchdays before the end of the season and we could take the final step, I would definitely discuss it, but in this situation, it is simply not necessary.

“We knew that day that the 7-0 was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.” If it benefits anyone for the next game, it will be the team that lost 7-0 rather than the team that won 7-0.

“If you take everything into account and just play a football game against Liverpool’s historical rival at Anfield, that must make it a special game, and that’s what I want to see from us, a special game.”

“This is a home game for us.” It is for the benefit of the people. We understand what it means. Nobody would expect us to be unconcerned. We care a lot, but we can’t go crazy before the game.”

The biggest dilemma for Klopp is who to team with Virgil van Dijk at center-back, with Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez each playing a half alongside excellent 20-year-old Jarell Quansah in the 2-1 Europa League defeat to Union Saint Gilloise.