Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said on Tuesday he has taken pleasure in West Ham’s revival under David Moyes as it prevented him becoming the oldest manager in the Premier League.
The two sides meet at the London Stadium on Wednesday with the Hammers having pulled six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and progressed to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
Klopp, 55, and Moyes, 59, started the season as the oldest two managers in the Premier League prior to 75-year-old Roy Hodgson’s return to Crystal Palace and the appointment of Julen Lopetegui, 56, at Wolves.
“I don’t look much at other clubs… but this specific one I was into it because if West Ham would have sacked David Moyes I would have been the oldest manager in the Premier League and I wanted to avoid that,” Klopp joked at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“Somebody told me before the season, I was the second oldest manager. David was the oldest so since then it was fingers crossed for West Ham. David has to stay!”
Klopp and Moyes have their previous success to thank for still being in a job as both clubs have struggled to match expectations this season.
Liverpool still have a shot at European qualification as back-to-back wins have lifted Klopp’s men up to seventh.
But he said his side still have to prove they are on the right track after making hard work of a 3-2 win over relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
“We have to still prove ourselves. We cannot talk about consistency when you win two games, especially when you win the second one like we did where the defending was not perfect to say the least,” added Klopp.
“We have to keep it going. There were a lot of things to like in the last two, two-and-a-half games and that’s what we have to continue.
“We have to make sure it’s not too difficult for people to watch us, that they like it again.”
