Jurgen Klopp has urged football supporters heading to Old Trafford this weekend to "show some class" as the Liverpool boss called for a definitive end to tragedy chanting.
The Reds head into the weekend's fixtures as Premier League leaders after Thursday night's 3-1 win over rock-bottom Sheffield United
Liverpool return to action on Sunday afternoon as they aim to inflict a 13th league defeat on Manchester United
Liverpool visit Old Trafford less than a month since their dramatic 4-3 loss there in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Despite the memorable nature of the game itself on March 17, the Cup classic was marred by sickening chants
a United fan later charged by Greater Manchester police over tragedy-related abuse towards Liverpool's away contingent.
Klopp said:
"I think [the issue] is super important,"
"There are different aspects but one aspect is that I don’t hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline but I get told it happens and that is obviously not great but in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these kinds of things.
"I just see it that way that two of the biggest clubs in the world, let’s just show a bit of class in these moments, so don’t sing this or that, just show class, have a fight on the pitch, let's just play football, if you want be happy, if you lose, whatever.
"But besides all of that just show a bit of class, that would be my wish really for all of us."
The two clubs have worked together to help eradicate the chanting in recent weeks with Phil Thompson and Wes Brown joining a session put on for school children from both cities to learn more about the Hillsborough and Munich air disasters last month.
On the game itself, Klopp added:
"That is how it is in the Premier League. When we became champion it was decided pretty early but otherwise probably Manchester City are here or there, but most of the time they are tight races And it looks like a tight race.
"The best place you can be is in it so that is cool, it is good and let’s keep fighting. That is how it is.
"The next one is the big one and they all are. I watched our schedule and someone said we had the best fixture list or schedule and I really don’t know how you can have that idea.
"Maybe I am too negative? It is a tough one but we are ready. We want to be in that fight so let's see what we can make of it.
"Thank you for reminding me [of the FA Cup game]. What did I learn?
"That the 10th interview is not as good as the ninth to give after the game! The story of the game, we spoke about it at the time, they started better and we took over.
"We were really good that day but we didn't finish the situations off.
"Extra time was too much for us and we couldn't avoid the mistakes we could before [in normal time].
"It was the day we couldn’t control it any more, United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home but we have to do what we did from minute 15 to seventy something. Football is not that easy.
"We have to find a way to cause United problems. They will try the same.
"Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good game if we want something from it. Will I miss these games? No, I had them often enough.
"What a manager I would be if I said I'll miss the United games or the City games and all the others I don't. No. It is all fine.
"I will probably miss all of them but we will see how I deal with missing football."
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