In part two of our exclusive interview with Jürgen Klopp ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash with Manchester United, the boss explains the role Liverpool supporters can play at Anfield in the first-leg encounter.

LFCTV GO subscribers can watch our chat with the manager in full by clicking play on the embedded video above now. Alternatively, read on for the transcript of the second segment of the interview. To read part one, click here.

You described these kind of games as ‘the salt in the soup’ earlier this year. How does the overall atmosphere and intensity change around these kind of derbies?

It’s a better question for the crowd and what they think [than me]. I don’t know exactly about the change in atmosphere; of course, I can feel a few things, a few things are different and maybe the celebrations for goals are different, but I can’t say too much. But I know about the difference in terms of importance – it is really, really important for everybody and that makes it special. As I’ve said a few times, football is not the most important thing in the world but in moments like this, before games like this and in games like this, it can feel like the most important thing in the world. That’s really cool and what we should use. I hope because of the result and because of the atmosphere we will remember these games in a lot of years, that’s the challenge for all of us. Life is like this, you always say ‘In earlier years it was better, it was different, we were closer, we were something…’ We really try to be close in this moment – we really try to be because we understand. We know about the importance of the relationship between us and all of our supporters, so we really try to be as close as possible. For the atmosphere, we can only give our best – we cannot create the atmosphere, so we need the help of the crowd. Hopefully, we really can enjoy the first game.

This will be one of the biggest Anfield games of your tenure so far here – how much are you looking forward to experiencing Anfield in a night game, under the foodlights, European football, Manchester United… It doesn’t really come much bigger for the supporters...

When we drove home [on Sunday] from Crystal Palace to the airport, it was really, really easy to think about the next game on Thursday. Usually you need time to analyse the other game. Crystal Palace was not a game to be able to analyse, it was special because 10 men, one goal behind and things like this. It was not about football analysis. Yes, we did a few things better after we went one man down, but then really [afterwards], easily and quickly we started thoughts about Thursday’s game. So, I am really ready for this and I am looking forward to it.

You said after Crystal Palace that your team had learned from the first meeting with them earlier in the season. Do you think the same will apply for Manchester United and learning from the match between the teams at Anfield earlier this season?

You saw the [Palace] game. I told the boys [on Monday morning], in the first half we didn’t play badly, but that says everything – we don’t want to play ‘not bad’. We want to play the best we can. We really forgot to shoot, we were not ready enough, we were not focused enough – that’s how it was. But we played OK, we played a few passes, but in the end they had their chances after set plays. Everybody knows they are first in the table with goals from set plays, so that says everything. It is not easy for all the teams, so it’s not easy for us too. They had their moments and we should have been more focused and more clear in our offensive actions, that’s the truth and so we could have lost their game. But after 60 minutes, it was an absolutely completely different game because we changed completely our style, we changed completely the direction and we really had clear moments – more than we had in 11 against 11. That’s what we can take [from it], but it’s not to compare with the first game against Crystal Palace. That game was not bad, we played good, but we lost. That is how football sometimes is. They made a goal after a set play, we scored a wonderful goal, had a lot of chances against, again, I think the best team at defending set plays. But that was another time, other line-up, and you don’t have to compare things like this. It was the first time we’ve won at Crystal Palace [in the league] in a lot of years, so that’s special. Then it was the first time in I don’t know how long that at 1-0 behind and one man down, we came back. You can see it was a really special day, but it was not about our style of football or things like this – we showed our will, we showed our potential, we showed a mentality that’s right and that we can play football – nobody doubts this. It was good, it was really special.

After Thursday night, how beneficial will it be having a whole week to prepare for that second leg? How will you use a rare free weekend?

I haven’t decided finally, so we will see. A few players will be off because they need it and they won’t have it because we have an international break [coming up] and they will be away all over the world. We have to use this free weekend, but I don’t know how [yet] – we will see and, of course, it helps. The best rhythm is one week [between games] so you have time to rest, time to train – that’s the perfect thing. So, Thursday to Thursday is a week and I am really happy with this, but of course the schedule will strike back and we will have to find a moment when we can play against Chelsea and Everton in exciting games, too. So we have a few things to do in the next few months!