Klopp and Guardiola unite in joint Premier League pre-season complaint

Jurgen Klopp has found a comrade in his moan about the short pre-season.

The Liverpool boss reckoned he was the only manager hitting out at the schedule international players are being put through. Klopp is not happy some of his players were playing until late June and now they are preparing for the season curtain raiser against Manchester City today.

The Reds will even play a friendly just 24 hours after their Premier League opener against Fulham next Saturday. He said: "If you ask me that question, I look like the only moaner or the lonely moaner in the corner talking about what players have to do, internationals players don't have enough breaks, that I think we all agree but the only one who is talking about it.

"I don't read newspapers but not enough people talk about it but pre-season is generally too short but that is why we extend it into the season. That doesn't help for the first games but it helps for the long term and that is actually the idea."

But Klopp found a friend in the argument as City boss Pep Guardiola backed him up on Friday.

Guardiola said: "Two weeks and a half of pre-season is too short. I think for Liverpool and ourselves, I think we arrive at this competition a little early - but the opportunity to play the Community Shield is always too early. We have to adapt. But I saw many good things in this period and with the guys we have we are going to move forward."

Guardiola is also concerned his stars could return from the winter World Cup exhausted. The showpiece event will begin in November, in the middle of the domestic season, with Guardiola knowing the bulk of his squad will be involved.

He added: "It's the first time for all the clubs, we are not an exception, so we will see. I don't think much about that. There's two to three months of the league first, then most players go to World Cup, while others have a two week rest or 10-15 days. After that we start again until end of season.

"We will adapt, but I don't know how they will react, if they will be exhausted mentally, physically. We will handle it. I don't know what will happen. As much as we adjust, we adapt as best as possible."

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Klopp has also called for a fighting spirit among his Liverpool squad as they prepare to go toe-to-toe with City again this season.

He said: "We had a big meeting where I tell the boys what I expect from them next year. I want to use the togetherness we have, the atmosphere we have in the team, the experience we made for better. We want to create a resilience and a fighting spirit. Being angry is important to fight against the outside world in this specific moment. All these things we can do.

"We don't know where it will lead us but we know it will improve us, based on the things we know are important when we bring them on the pitch. We want to be the team no one wants to play against because when they have the ball, they have pressure everywhere."

Both title challengers have spent big on strikers with City nabbing Erling Haaland for £51m while the Reds could spend £85m on Darwin Nunez. Liverpool have also signed attacker Fabio Carvalho from Fulham for £7.7m and full-back Calvin Ramsay for £6.5m. But City have also spent £50m on Kalvin Phillips in midfield with more signings expected.

Klopp added: "First of all, we spent money as well. We should not forget that. The plan is always, we lost three first team players, I don't want to forget anyone, so far it was Sadio [Mane], Divock [Origi], Taki [Minamino], very important players for us, brought in three, we want to create space for our young boys from last year to step into the void.

"They are useful for us. We are together for a while. We know each other and we know what we expect from each other."