Liverpool legend John Aldridge has labelled the behaviour of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during Sunday’s Community Shield contest ‘very strange’.
The Spaniard was indeed very animated in comparison with the mostly-placid Jurgen Klopp in the Reds dugout, and Aldridge believes it was because Guardiola knows Klopp’s team are a threat.
“You’re talking about beating the European champions and you could see that from the way Pep was carrying on right throughout the game, his behaviour was very strange at times,” he wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo.
“It’s the Community Shield these days of course but don’t forget it used to be called the Charity Shield, with all the money raised been given to good causes.. there was nothing charitable about Pep on Sunday, he was that animated it was like it was the European Cup final to him!
“Meanwhile Jurgen was just his normal self on the touchline, enjoyed the occasion and knew – even though it was a game that we wanted to win – it was about getting ready for Norwich on Friday.”
OPINION
It’s easy to say from the point of view of the losers, but it did seem as if Sunday’s game meant a wee bit more to Guardiola than it did to Klopp. Don’t forget, the City boss used the Community Shield to justify his assertion that his team won four titles last season, rather than the domestic treble everyone considers they achieved. Klopp, on the other hand, seemed like he enjoyed the occasion and was just grateful to see his team back in competitive action again. Whenever Liverpool and City face each other these days it’s a contest between two of the five greatest teams in world football – they are that good. So there’s no doubt that Klopp will have enjoyed watching the two teams face off. Of course he will have wanted to win the match, but he knew it wasn’t the end of the world. At the end of the day, it simply formed part of his pre season preparation for the new campaign, whereas Guardiola, by the looks of it, was absolutely desperate to come away victorious. Make of that what you will…
