If there is one thing that Jurgen Klopp hates, it's the 12:30 kick-off slot on a Saturday afternoon.
The Liverpool boss has frequently bemoaned the lunchtime scheduling, including one heated pitch-side debate with journalist Des Kelly back in 2020 after conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Brighton.
Perhaps Klopp's major gripe with the early kick-off is that his Liverpool side tend to struggle in them, with a patchy record since the German took over during the 2015/16 season. With a few more 12:30 Saturday games on the horizon in the next few months, the Reds boss will be fearing some slow weekend starts.
So, what is Klopp's early kick-off record with Liverpool?
What has Jurgen Klopp said about the early kick-off?
Speaking before Liverpool's 12:30 kick-off with Wolverhampton Wanderers after the international break in September, Klopp didn't hold back when quizzed about the difficulties of playing in the early slot on a Saturday.
"Are you serious with this question?" said the German. "What do you mean what is the difference when you play 30 hours ago in Bolivia? What do you think is the reason? I don't understand.
"Is it something about the time or the lack of recovery in between. It's not a problem if you have a normal week, we've always said that. The only problem is the lack of recovery time.'
He added: "We have four international breaks until March, and on two [now three after their clash with Manchester City was rescheduled] of them we have the 12.30pm kick-off.
"If I say one word about it again the whole world goes 'He's starting to moan again', but it's a joke - we have players in South America that I haven't seen yet and we play in 24 hours. It's a joke."
With Liverpool's clash with Man City now rescheduled for the 12:30 slot after the November international break and the Reds facing Everton in the Merseyside derby after the October break, Klopp has now endured 14 early kick-offs after the international period since arriving at Anfield.
In comparison, the team with the next most in the same timeframe is Tottenham Hotspur, who have only been selected for the early kick-off after the international break six times. No wonder Klopp is so sick of the time slot.
What is Liverpool's Saturday early-kick off record under Jurgen Klopp?
Klopp's dislike of the early Saturday kick-off probably has something to do with just how uncharacteristically poor Liverpool have been in the time slot since his arrival.
During his first half-season with the Reds in 2015/16, Klopp took charge of four early Saturday kick-offs - played at 12:45 during that campaign. While his Liverpool side were nowhere near the level of his current team, they still lost one, drew one and won two of their matches , including that famous 5-4 win over Norwich City.
That form slipped even further in the following two seasons, with the Reds facing 12 early Saturday kick-offs during that period. Of those games, Liverpool won just two, losing two and drawing the other eight.
During the 2018/19 and the Reds' title-winning 2019/20 seasons, Liverpool played just three early kick-offs each campaign, winning all three in both campaign. The following season was a different story, however, losing one, drawing two and winning one - admittedly a thumping 7-0 win over Crystal Palace - of the four games they played at 12:30.
Liverpool's woes in the early slot disappeared during the 2021/22 season, winning all five of their games without even conceding a single goal and netting 12 of their own.
Last season was disastrous though. Klopp's men failed to win any of their six early games, losing three and drawing three during a terrible run.
While there are plenty of early kick-offs to come for Liverpool this season, they have made a strong start, beating Wolves 3-1 after the September international break despite a dismal first-half performance. Whether the Reds can keep that run going remains to be seen.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Liverpool's record in early Saturday kick-offs under Jurgen Klopp.
