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Jurgen Klopp wasn't about to add any fuel to the fire.

The Liverpool boss carefully tiptoed around the subject of Saturday's showdown at Old Trafford being a clash of styles.

There was no criticism of Jose Mourinho and his safety first policy which has made recent meetings between the clubs largely forgettable.

From Klopp, there was simply an admission that he feels for Liverpool there is no other way than to play on the front foot and entertain - no matter who is standing in their path.

"All the clubs in England who signed a foreign manager knew what they would get," he said.

"Liverpool needed somebody who started the development with a big thirst for being immediately successful which is quite difficult. That didn't happen but everyone can see that the way is positive at least.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

"If you win the title next year then everyone will know it was a good signing. If you want to have the most fluent offensive football and be successful then I think Pep Guardiola is a good choice to be honest. He's doing a fantastic job.

"We couldn't do any different here, nobody would accept it. If Liverpool won the league then after the season no-one would ask how it happened, nobody.

"With this way there are no guarantees we will go there because of different things, but we have to convince the people first with our style of football. Playing very defensive and not being successful just doesn't work.

"We have so many fans all over the world who watch us. They have to get something if they don't get silverware at the end of the season. We know the pressure here is to win - win the next game and then the next stage to win a cup."

(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

It's telling that Manchester United have conceded fewer home Premier League goals than anyone this term, while Liverpool are the most prolific on their travels.

Klopp believes the success Mourinho had last season when United won both the League Cup and the Europa League lifted the kind of weight that the Reds boss is still trying to shift.

"They won two titles last year," he added.

"If we had won the two finals we played in my first season here everything would have settled on another level. It would have helped massively.

"It wouldn't have changed our style of play but it would have been a sign. In this moment it's always 'Liverpool are good but.....' We know that.

"We don't live the 'but', we live the rest. That's our situation. For us it's the only way.

(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

"What doesn't help us we have to ignore. We just have to use the skills and the talent and attitude of the boys to be as successful as we can before we are obviously successful."

Klopp knows that victory at Old Trafford would be another big step forward for the Reds on the back of reaching the last eight of the Champions League.

Not only would it see them leapfrog United into second place, it would also be a major psychological boost having endured heavy away defeats to rivals Man City and Spurs earlier this season.

"One was our worst game of the season against Tottenham, the other was.... I don't want to talk about that game," Klopp said.

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"I was really happy that we won the second game (against Man City) as we could show that the first half an hour of the first game was a real sign of something. It could have been different that day, but it couldn't at Tottenham because that was just a bad performance. It was long ago.

"We had the away game at Arsenal which was quite impressive in a few moments but it wasn't a really good performance.

"Now we have two more to come against these kind of teams - at United and Chelsea. In general our away shape against the big six is usually spot on.

"I'm not in doubt about that (Liverpool's ability to beat United) but I know it's difficult. They can win each game, whether at their best or not at their best. I don't think we're at that level but we're much better than we were.

"We can win when we play average games but we didn't have too many like that."

(Image: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)

It's all part of the development of a gifted young squad which has suffered just one league defeat in the past 20 matches.,

"It's a sign for teams who want to go for the really big things as you can't always be completely spot on," Klopp added.

"A good example is that Tottenham were the better side in both games against Juventus but in the end Juve went through.

"You can say Tottenham are naive but they are not naive. They played exactly how they should have and in one moment Juve changed the system and they could not react in the same situation because Juve are more used to being in a situation like that.

"They are not bothered if they are 2-0 up or 3-0 down. You cannot buy that, we have to develop that, we have to grow in these situations. It was an outstanding game to watch.

"We are on the way. That gives us the chance to get a result at Old Trafford but no guarantee."