Liverpool's record in early Saturday kick-offs under Jurgen Klopp

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?

Following Liverpool's recent 3-0 win over Brentford, Klopp spoke about the early kick-off in no uncertain terms, with his side facing Manchester City in the 12:30 (GMT) slot after the November 2023 international break.

"Today was about getting through the game and we did," said Klopp. "The boys responded sensationally well.

"Now they are all gone and we can train once before Manchester City. How can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm? Honestly, the people making these decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible. And it is the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game.

"These two teams could have, all together, about 30 international players. They all come back on the same plane by the way, all the South American players. They all fly back together, we put them on the plane from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. One game, one plane, they all come back. We just have to make sure we are ready for this game."

With Liverpool's clash with Man City having been rescheduled for the 12:30 slot, Klopp has now endured 14 early kick-offs after international breaks 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 term, winning all three in both campaigns. 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.

Yet, even as Klopp continues to rail against the calendar, Liverpool have dramatically improved during the lunchtime slot this season. The Reds made a strong start after beating Wolves 3-1 and Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside derby before earning a respectable 1-1 draw away to Manchester City at the end of November.

Liverpool were not at their fluent best yet still earned a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in December - although the Selhurst Park crowded voiced their complaints against the officials with a chant of "2-1 to the referee". Even a glut of first-half injuries couldn't prevent Liverpool from beating Brentford at lunchtime in mid-February.

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