What is Jurgen Klopp’s record in 12:30pm kick-offs and why does he hate them? Liverpool in Saturday action against Manchester City

Liverpool and Manchester City could move ahead of one another atop the Premier League standings in the infamous Saturday kickoff at 12.30pm the following weekend.

The reason Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is the most outspoken opponent of the Saturday lunchtime position is because of his track record in those games.

The early weekend time window is crucial for the Premier League because English football is blacked out in the United Kingdom at 3pm on Saturday afternoons.

Additionally, it is prime time in significant Asian markets, so the Premier League frequently selects its best six teams in order to enhance its brand.

This has consistently prompted attention to Klopp’s stance on the matter; in 2020, following a 1-1 draw with Brighton, the German was involved in a notorious exchange with BT Sport journalist Des Kelly.

Two years ago, Klopp expressed his preference for night games, stating, “Saturday night is generally a decent time to play football because people don’t go to bed too early.

“Much better than at 12 — I’m hungry at 12, not at 7:45!”

However, is there a more profound rationale for Klopp’s aversion to the customary early afternoon matchup prior to their visit to City, which will be broadcast live on talkSPORT?

During his inaugural campaign in the Premier League in 2015/16, Klopp had four victories and three losses in nine early kick-off matches.

That declined to three victories and three defeats out of a possible nine in the 2016–17 season.

In Klopp’s third season, Liverpool regressed to relegation form in the lunchtime position, with only one victory in eight games, including a 5-0 rout of Manchester City.

The German appeared to have resolved his early morning struggles during the 2021/22 season, when he came perilously close to achieving a quadruple.

Four victories out of four in the early schedule propelled Liverpool to a 92-point finish, one point behind reigning champions City.

However, their former adversaries raised an eyebrow at the Reds’ disastrous form from the previous season, which culminated in three losses and zero victories out of a possible six.

The final midday match between Liverpool and Manchester City ended in a 4-1 loss.

However, the Reds emerged victorious in their most recent early-season competition, defeating Wolves 3-1.

In addition to his stomach, Klopp’s primary complaint about 12:30pm kick-offs is the disregard for player welfare that results from the scheduling.

The day following a Champions League match played on a Wednesday night is generally regarded as a day of recuperation.

However, if they are subsequently scheduled to play first on Saturday, they will have to travel on Friday evening after only one session, unless the game is local.

Therefore, a club’s travel, training, and sleep arrangements are significantly altered when matches begin later in the day.

Prior to the 2020 match against Brighton, Klopp stated, “Obviously, the boys sleep longer if you play in the afternoon; you can ask whoever you want, but sleep is a significant component of recovery.”

Klopp has expressed his aversion to television scheduling no secret.
This means that a lack of appropriate recovery between fixtures will lead to an increased risk of injuries to players.

Similar to the situation three years ago when James Milner suffered a hamstring injury at the AMF, when Klopp erupted on BT Sport.

The match ensued subsequent to Liverpool’s 2-0 loss to Atalanta in Italy on Wednesday.

Theoretically, Liverpool’s absence from the Champions League this season will spare them numerous hazardous turnarounds at 12:30pm; instead, the Europa League participants in action on Thursday will compete on Sunday.

However, their forthcoming match against Manchester City immediately follows another hectic international break.

Since Klopp joined Liverpool, that will be the fourteenth 12:30/12:45pm start time after an international break; that is seven more than Tottenham and Chelsea in second place.

He remarked, “How is it possible to schedule such a game for Saturday at 12.30pm?

“Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football. It is just not feasible.

“This is the moment the world pays the most to see a football game. Additionally, it is worth noting that the participants, including those from South America, will all return on the same plane after traveling from various countries.

“You must persevere through the most challenging league on the planet and be prepared on Thursday, Sunday, and Thursday once more.” Should the Premier League decide to proceed, I would advise you to be prepared on Saturday at 12.30pm!”