TPP Exclusive: Danny Murphy on Liverpool’s CL Bid, Salah’s Future & More!

What are Liverpool’s chances of winning the UCL this year? What do the next few years hold in store for them and for Ful🔯ham? What’s the future shaping up to be like for Conte, Kane, and Tottenham?

Get insights all on these ൩topics and more in our exclusi💃ve interview with none other than the man himself, Danny Murphy.

1. Who do you think will win the Champions League?

As far as I’m concerned, it’s got to be Liverpool, just froꦛm the way they're playing and the momenဣtum they've maintained.

The first half🌟 wasn't ♈perfect against Villarreal, but if anything, it gave them a kick up the backside.

We've seen Real Madri꧅d come back in the competition, but they've been open🌠ed up so easily twice against Chelsea and Manchester City.

They've conceded a lot of goals, which would🍌 play right into 🔜Liverpool's hands.

It’s going to be a fantastic game. It’s two teams who have a rich history in the competition and it’s hard to pick a winn🐠er.

With the quality in both teams, iꦍt could go🤡 either way, but I think Liverpool will win it.

2. How do you think Jurgen Klopp extending his contract is going to affect Liverpool in the future?

Stability is always a good thing for football clubs, and the fans are obviouꦛsly delighted.

He's still hungry for it, you can hear it in his interviews, but the biggest plus is when Liverpool decide to dip into the tr🌟ansfer market. Then you've got a manager who's there f🔜or the next four years.

Aไs a player, that really gives you a feeling of comfort because thღe manager who wants to sign you is on that journey with you, as opposed to someone who's on their way out of the door in the next couple of years.

I just think it gives ever🎐ybody a boost, keeps everybody on track and keeps the supporters on side and happy, which is exactly what you need.

Why wouldn't he sign a new deal? ▨Why wouldn't the club give him one? Everything is just going so well.

In terms of playing style, they'll just keep doing the same thing – they've been relentless now for a few seasons.

They had a dﷺip in the Premier League last season, but there were mitigating circumstances around that.

3. Where do you think Jurgen Klopp ranks amongst other Liverpool managers?

🀅 It's hard to know how many more trophies he's going to win and memories he's going to create moving forward.

He might not be as decorated as some of the managers in years gon꧒e by right now, but I still think he'll be remembඣered equally among the greats.

What he's done is bring Liverpool back from the abyss; apart from that year where Brendoౠn Rodgers nearly wಞon it, they've been a mile off.

I know❀ Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benetiz finished second, but it wasn't really closꦫe.

So, Klopp has b♏rought Liverpo🐼ol back, they're challenging for titles and the Champions League most seasons.

ཧ If it wasn't for City being so amazing and consistent then they would have m🌺ore Premier League titles, because let's not forget they came second with a record-breaking number of points.

🃏 ꦆ His legacy is already there; what he does from this point is a bonus.

If he left tomorr♒ow, he would be remembered as one of the greats.

꧃ But if you take✃ away the football side of it, what he's done is united the city again and brought the fans together.

Anfield is again a place that opposing teams are terrified of – the atmosphere is second to none, and it's one of the best♍ stadiums in the world.

There's a feel-good factor 🦋around the city, and🌺 Klopp’s communication skills and relationship with the fans is strong.

We've heard stories of him popping into bars, having a drink with fans, giving them beers off the coach – he's just a people person in general.

It's hard to compare and contras🐼t over different decades, but as we stand now, he's going to be a legend and somebody who the fans will talk a⛎bout for decades to come.

The ast𓆏ounding thing is that heꦯ's far from done.

That new contract will bring about another four years, and the squad are still quite young; there's only a few senior players who🐟 really need replaci🅰ng, but most of them have loads of time left.

The squad looks really healthy, Klopp looks hungry, the players look right at it still – so if anything, they're getting stronger.

4. There’s plenty of talk from Dutch pundits disparaging Pep Lijnders' influence on Liverpool's success – which is in stark contrast to Klopp's opinion. What side do you fall on? What feedback do you get from Liverpool about the work of Lijnders and his contribution? Are the Dutch being unfair?

All the best managers have a wonderful team ♚around🌟 them, and I think the biggest compliment to Lijnders is when he left and lost his job, Klopp brought him straight back.

He even spoke spoke to Lijnders first befo🥂re the new contract was signed.

That tells you how highly he regards him. I think back to my successful times when Gerard Houllier had the likes of Patrice Berge, Phil Thompson, and Sa🦹mmy Lee.

Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson had Ray Lewington and Mike Kelly. The team behꩵind the manager is important, because they bounce off each other.

They also communicate between the manager and the players, so obviously Pep Lijnders is somebody who does that v⛄ery well and is respected in that regard.

It's very hard to question anything that Jurgen Klopp does – his decision making has been very good, from the staff that he brings in to the players who have signed.

 He's made very few mistakes along the way, so you have to put your trust in him – meaning that Lijnders was brought back once he was availabl💟e for good reason. It’s clear that Klopp relies on him a lot.

Not every great coach out there is capable of being a good manꦯager, so any cr🃏iticism around his management when he got the sack was unfair.

Steve Holland has only managed once in the lower leagues in hi🦄s time, and he may well go on to manage again.

 But he was kept on by Chelsea by the best managers they've ꦓever had because h🔯e was so good at what he did, which is why he’s so valuable to England right now.

It’s a different role Pep Lijnders has got, and he seems to sui꧋t 🥀it really well.

He is going to be someone who is vitally important to Liverpool, because the manag🅺er always needs a strong team behind him.

5. What's your gut feeling on Mohamed Salah staying? How important is he to Klopp's plans for the coming years? What would it mean for Liverpool if Salah and Origi both leave this summer?

I really hope Salah stays for obvious reasons, because he's a wonderful 🌠player.

He's bee𝐆n absolutely sensational and exceeded everyone's expecta🌼tions.

The goals he brings are very hard to replace and very ex🙈pensive, so I hope he does not leave.

My gut feeling is that if he's going to sign, then he would have do﷽ne it by now.

I hope I'm wrong at that,✨ but maybe he has different aspirations, of a differ𝄹ent challenge in mind.

It's always hard to try and put yourself in the mindset of somebody else, because everyone has a different upbring𓂃ing. This affect🤪s what team you loved as a child, and what ambitions you had growing up.

I myself only ever wanted to play for Liverpool – and if Mo Salah was a scouser, then✨ I'd be saying he'll stay.

But he's 🔯not, and we don't know what he's thinking or what his agent or support ne꧃twork is saying to him.

I'm starting to get worried that it hasn't been done, but sometimes these negotiations can𝄹 take a long time♉ to settle.

The longer it goes on, the more worried I am, a💜nd it's the same with Sadio Mane.

I think they both have this wonderful durability; they play all the time and never look tired – the number of games the two of them have played since they joined is unbelievable.

Although there's options for rotation in Diaz, Firmino, Harvey Elliot and Cu🌳rtis Jones, I just think it would be very diꩵfficult to replace Mo Salah's goals.

Fingers crossed, he’ll sign – but the longer it goes on, the more cautious I am.

6. Liverpool have been linked with Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, and others for a midfield signing this summer. Who do you think they should sign and why?

It’s 100% Declan Rice for me.

🅷 I think if you're looking for a Jordan Henderson replacement, then you need somebody who could be there for the next ten years.

Rice is a super athlete – he can get box-to-box like Henderson and lead others around him.

He doesn't have to play the holding role,🎉⛦ but he could if Fabinho is injured, and I think he could become a great number eight in a better side.

He'ꦯll be able to get forward more and score goals, which he has show🙈n at times.

I know he'll be really expensive, and Liverpool won't pay that sort of money. But from a fan’s pundit’s mind🗹set, if Liverpool were 📖to only sign Declan Rice, it would be phenomenal.

How🌄ever, as I said, I 🙈think it would be unlikely.

7. Have you seen much of Fabio Carvalho, who seems to be on his way to Liverpool? What can fans expect to see from him if/when that deal goes through?

Carvalho’s very👍 creative, he's got a great low sense of gravity, good skill, good awareness, and he glides with the ball.

He'💯s a really good young talen♓t, but he isn't going to get into the XI as it stands now.

So, we'd be seeing 𝕴glimpses of him like we do with Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones.

Is he better than th💜ose two? We'll have to wait and see on that one, but I'm all for bringing in young talent and integrating it into the squad.

At the moment, it's unlikely we’ll see anyone getting themse♓lv✤es into that side ahead of Diaz, Mane, and Salah.

Bu💖t when you're talking about players moving forward in a couple of years’ time, if the likes of Salah and Mane move on, then you're going to n♊eed more youngsters coming through.

Obviously, they think highly of him, and I've seen him enough to know he's a super talent, but I 🦹think he needs a couple of years learning at the top level before you could think of him breaking into a Liverpool XI.

8. Are you happy to see Fulham back up? Do you think Fulham are the club where Marco Silva gets it right in the Premier League?

I'm really happy to see them back – the supporters are wonderful down there, and the stadium has developed nicely.

It'll be a full house every week – it's a great club, and I still have friends there.

The👍 manager still has a lot to prove, though. He failed ✅when he went to Everton, so there were a few people surprised when he got the Fulham job, including myself.

I didn't think it was the right🅘 appointment, but he'🔥s proved us wrong.

He's come out of the Championship with not only a huge number of 🔯points, but wiꦰth great style.

They've played really good foဣotball, and that's a credওit to him. He’s obviously hungry, and speaks really well, so we'll have to wait and see, really.

Ultimately, it'll be down to the recruitment and who they bring in, becaus🎃e the squad they have at the moment won't stay in the Premier League. They’ve struggled with recruitment the past two seasons, and they need to bring in reinforcements.

The first time they went heavy and brought in a lot of players who had neওver played in⛦ the Premier League, which was obviously a mistake.

The next time they didn't spend that much at all, so𓆉 they need to find a happy medium.

That'll be the key for Marco Silva's success and the teams, but he's ver🔴y well thought of at the club.

Everyone speaks highly of him for the 🀅job he's done and the way he conducts himself.

Ultimately, you're only as good as your players, and when you're in the best league in the world they'll get found out – unless they bring someone in.

꧒ So, we'll wait and see on the recruitment, but my feeling is they'll have to be cute a🥃nd clever as well as spend some money to be competitive.

But, fingers crossed, I really hope 🌳they can be better this time around.

9. What will Mitrovic have to do over the summer to give himself the best chance of proving himself at Premier League level? Can he do it?

I think there's only two things really.

One is to be the best he can be physically, which he looks to have improved on this season – he looks really fit and hungry for it. When you're a big striker and a powerfully built man, you need to be fit as well as use that strength.

The secon🍰d thing is the way the rest of the team plays and how they♔ can help you bring out his best attributes.

I think there's a lot of talk of that this season, with the team 🌞working ꦓaround him rather than him going in to fit around others.

I♓t's clever if you've got a striker who's good at certain things, but you need to make sure you get the right balls in the box, and make sure you keep him away from working too hard defensively.

So, it's about using him the best that they can and getting him enough service, b🎶ecause you have to have the ball.

Of course, they'll have less of the ball in the Premier League at times, so it'll be a case of whether the team can get the ball enough for him to score goals – because he will do if given chances.

But for him, it's about staying on top of his fitness. Every player needs a bit of luck when it comes to injuries, but i﷽f you're♒ sharp as a striker, then you'll score more goals.

I think he's more than capable of having a decent season in the✨ Premier L⛎eague.

10. Daniel Levy was celebrated after the appointment of Antonio Conte, yet Spurs could now lose him to PSG. If Conte leaves for Paris, what would that say about Levy and Tottenham? Do you think it could happen?

I think it would say less about Tottenham and more🉐 about Conte.

 I th🌌ink it would be one of those situations where you can't attach ꦍtoo much blame on the club.

They've negotiated a deal with Conte for this season and the next, paying him a lot of money, a💦nd he's improved the team so far.

The squad looks more balanced – they've got great firepower, and the signings were done in January.

Things are looking positive. The𝓡y could ♚still get that final spot in the Champions League, so Conte leaving would be a big negative for Spurs.

It wouldn't be on them; they'd be compensated, of course, but it would com🔯e down to a question of loyalty in the end.

I don't think it would be fair to blame Daniel Levy or Tottenham iꦜf it came to that, because there's only so much you can do.

 They could dig their heels i༒n because he's under contract, and refuse to accept his decision.

But if PSG really ♔wanted him, then they'd probably be able t⛄o pay enough to get him out, and there comes a point where it's illogical to keep someone who doesn't want to be there.

I don't think it'll happen, 🎀though; Conte is a loyal guy, and I think he wants to suꩲcceed at Tottenham because it's a challenge for him.

Getting in the Champions League would obviously help, but I'd be really surprised if he 𓆏left.

It would be problematic for Spu🐠rs to get someone in of e𝐆qual quality, and it would be disappointing for the fans.

11. Furthermore, where would that leave Harry Kane if he saw Conte depart at the end of the season?

Kane 𓆏might push for a move if it happens, but he's under contract, and it's showed last year that Spurs weren't going to let him go.

I'm not sure on how that would pl🅺ay out, but I can see him staying n♊ow.

I think he'll finish his career at Spurs – I might be wrong because I know he's ambitious – but you're talking a lot of money to get him out. He's another year older, so would someone take that risk?

I would expect to seeඣ Kane in a Spurs shirt whether Conte was manager or not.

12. You were part of a Liverpool side that won a treble – what does it take to achieve success like that, and what are your memories of that campaign?

Winning tro🉐phies with a club I grew up supporting are some of the best memories of my career.

Singing ‘You'll Never Walk Alone' at the end of finals with the fans are things you thought would never happen to you, so to actually get to do it was special.

In terms of that, they're just wonderful and special things꧃ to think back on and be proud of.

It takes a little bit of luck, 🍌tremendꦚous hard work and dedication to your profession, which of course the players had.

But it takes a certa𓃲in mentality, because you have to keep producing big performances in huge moments.

You also have to unꦅderstand that not every game is going to be your game.

We had a gr🎐eat mindset of players💛 in that squad who were unselfish, and who didn’t act like prima donnas.

I think the current Liverpool squad have that in abundaඣnce.

There's lots of꧃ factors that add up to success, but ultimately you need to h👍ave that quality in what you do.

Klopp deserves great praise for that currentlꦡy because he's created a machine with such tempo in his play, and all the players are on board with it.

Even if 𓆉Liverpool were to win a ▨treble this season, one of those trophies would be one of the big ones in the shape of the Premier League or Champions League.

Winning three trophies would be a remarkable season for Liverpool, and to win all four would be the best season anyone has ever had, which speaks for itsel𝔍f.

 But, for me, if it were just the FA Cup and the Champions League, then it would still goไ down as one of the greate🅷st seasons in Liverpool's history.

13. How does the treble team of 2001 compare to this year’s team?

We were resilient like them, and we we💫re good defensively.

We weren't as good as the current side in ter🥃ms of creativity; the attacking play and we didn't have that dynamism or speed.

𝓡 We had Michael Owen, who was one of the best strikers in the world for a while🐽, but we were quite reliant on him.

We had Robbie Fowler and Emile Heskey, who were quality players, but Michael was someone ☂who we relied on a𓆏 lot.

Salah scores a lot of goals, but the likes of Mane, Jotꦬa, and Diaz all contributed with goals themse๊lves.

They're more dynamic and creative than we were, though. If you look at the fullbacks, for example, what they do and the number of assists they get is remꦕarkable.

They're a better side and more complete, but we share the same resilience and winning mindset, even when you aren't playing well, because you 💎have to.

I t🐽hink the only real similarity is that determination to win games anღd being able to dig in.

You could argue there are few players who could get into the team now – Steven Gerrard aside of course, the greatest player Liverpool have ever had – that's how good they are.

However, the rest of that treble winning team of ours would be on 🍌the edges.

Sami Hyypia would maybe ♋partner Virgil van Dijk and Michael Owen through the middle at his best.

But the team and squad now are better than the one I was in – it's got more options and variety, and is more dynamic.

14. Who were the leaders/experienced players you looked up to in the dressing room at Liverpool?

It was various. Initially, peo♏ple like Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler were brilliant with the young lads, and they were really great to be around.

They supported y⭕ou, and Robbie remained that figure when Macca left.

But the likes of Dietmar Hamann and Gary McAllister became really influential with their ex🍌perience and wisdom, as well as the calmness and abilitꦓy they had to talk you through certain moments during matches.

We had a nice balance of hungry young players, incl🎶uding the likes of myཧself, Stevie (Gerrard), Michael (Owen) and Carra (Jamie Carragher).

We had the more experienced players then, as I said – even Jamie Redknapp, who was injured a lot, was great with the young lads.

𝓰So, all in all, I’d say Didi, Robbie and Ma🥀cca were the leaders in that dressing room.

15. You left Liverpool in 2004 – could you have dug your heels in back then, and how did it feel seeing that side winning the Champions League in 2005?

It was a weird one watchinꩵg them win it, as I left the same season, so part of me wasn’t there, so to speak.

Loads of my mates were playing so I was so pleased for them, but sad because I wasn'🦂t there.

Maybe I should have dug in, but Rafa made it very🍸 difficult for me by being honest.

 He didn't have to 🎐be, but I appreciated that looking back, because I liked playing and I ꦗdidn't want to be a bit-part player sitting on the bench.

On further reflection, though, I think should have stayed and dug my heels in. If I didn't prove him wrong, then fine – I could have left the summer after.

But it's difficult 🌠in the moment, especially when you're in ဣyour 20s and you think you're mature and understand everything.

ꩵ You're given basically a 48-hour window to make decisions on the rest of your career, and you're told you're not going to play and be first choice 𓆏with other players coming in.

The one thing I did love in life was playing football, and I didn't want to become somebody 🍨w🎶ho's hanging on to something.

It was a difficult one. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if I could turn back the clock🃏, then I would have dug in.

I would have t♉ried to prove him wrong, and I think I should have given it one more year.

16. You played under Roy Hodgson at Fulham – considering how highly regarded he is in management, what do you think went wrong with that Liverpool stint?

There were a few things – he wasn't given much money to spend first and foremost, which never helps.

He had Torres on the way back froꦿm injury who wanted to leave for Chelsea, so that was a struggle.

Steven Gerrard also got injured for two months just after the start of the season, 💙and there was Kenny Dalglish in the background who wanted the job when Roy got it.

Anything that went wrong the fans would want Kenny in, which is fair eno𓂃ugh, because he's a club legend.

There were a few things going against him, but ultimately he꧑ would look back on things and probably go for it a bit more and be less pragmatic.

It's hard to be when you have a limited squad available to you, and when y💛ou look at who he was dealing with back then.

It was destined to fail really, so he probably learnt 💯a lot from that experi🍷ence.

If given another chance, he would doಞ things differently, but nothing is ever certain in football when these opportunities come up.

He had to take the job – it's a wonderful club and one of the biggest in the world – so why wouldn't he say yes and give it a go?

I know he got on with the players and was well-respected, but the Torres situation and Ger𒐪rard getting injured at a crucial time didn't help.

I think playing the kids and going out of the Cup wa𝓡s a mistake, but it was a bad time, which wasn't all🉐 his fault.

Roy is an honest guy. I'm sure he would say that he ma🐷de some mistakes♕.

17. How do you see the summer rebuild at Manchester United going under Ten Hag?

He ha♐s to work tremendously hard on his philosophy and his tacti൩cs.

He's got to try to get the players on board with it and work on their fitness, because they have to be stronger and sharper all 🍸over the pitch.

There's real quality in the squaღd, and I'm sure he'll 🔥make a couple of good additions as well.

He also needs to create an identity or a way of playing, b♋ecause currently, there isn't one🌞.

They're not high possession and they're not a counter-attacking team, so it's hard🍎 to see what they are rig♔ht now.

They just rely on individual quality every so often, mainly Cristiano Ronaldo, so t🐈🌞hey need an identity back.

Ten Hag needs a way of playing that he needs to stick to. If he needs to bring in players over the next year to 18 months, then fine, but that ne𒁏eds to be the way they’re going to play.

If they’re going to be possession-based, he needs to see who gets on board with it – and if they don't, then he'll need to change tactics.

The hunger and physicaliꦗty need to come back, which comes from the fitness and the mentality of the players.

That's the m꧒anager’s job. Pep Guardiola can get players like David Silva doing more running, for example.

When David Silva's duels went up🦄, winning the ball back we𒀰nt up too.

It’s the same with Klopp. He can get the best players at Liverpool to work hard to retrieve the ball like they're young ki🌺ds trying to impress the manager.

It’s the manager’s job to start with a great tac📖tical plan and quality players on the pitch to inject the team with a chance of winning..

But it's a hꦅell of a big job at Manchester United. Ten Hag’s first season will be transition, and then it'll be the second season where he's judged.

18. Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips' futures are up for debate this summer – could you see either leaving?

Kalvin Phillips will depend on whether Leeds stay up or notඣ; if they go down, then he has to leave.

A player of his quality has got to be playing Premier League football, and of♈ course💛 it'll help with his England career and the World Cup.

I think he's💧 got enough about him to play for any of the big clubs; Rice just edges him for me in terms of his all-round game.

Rice is the more comple⛎te midfield package, but I'm a big fan of Phillips.

Either could play top four, Champions League fo🐎otball, because they've both ༺shown that.

 If Leeds stay up, then I think Phillips w𝓰ill stay because he loves that club,🍸 and he'll want to see what the new manager can bring.

With 🐲Rice, I tꦆhink he'll want to leave, because he's at that stage in his career where he wants to win and he's ready.

West Ham fans won't want to hear that, ♚but it's the truth. Even if they're in the Champions League next season, they're unlikely to go deep into the competition.

It jﷺust delays Declan Rice from competing for titles and Champions League trophies,🦂 because he's capable of playing for Liverpool, Manchester City or Chelsea.

❀ There's no doubt in my mind that he could fit into any🐭 of those teams, but it's not a simple one, because West Ham want the money that they want.

I think there will be a compromise, or someone will pay the money to get him in, because he's🎃 that good.

He's got great variatio🐻n in his game: he can play a six, he can play as an eight, or even slot in at centre halve.

More importantly, whatever club he goes to will have him for eight years at least, because he's young and hu🔜ngry to succeed.

He's a futur♌e England captain, so getting him now may seem excessive and over the top, but that price isn't going to go down.

It's not a risk – take the hit and get him in, and you know you're sorted because he's so reliable.

He's not a risk for any of those teams to go out and bu🎶y him, because he's ꦛthat good.

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