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

What are Liverpool’s chances of winning the UCL th🌄is year?🙈 What do the next few years hold in store for them and for Fulham? What’s the future shaping up to be like for Conte, Kane, and Tottenham?

Get insights all on these topics and more in our exclusive interview with none𒁃 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 from the way they're playing and the m🌼om✤entum 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 Madrid come back in the competition, but they've been opened up so easily ܫtwice against Chelsea a🥃nd Manchester City.

They'𓆏ve 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 r🍸ich history in the competition and it’s hard to pick a winner.

With the quality inꦕ both teams, it 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 cluℱbs, and🌳 the fans are obviously 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 transfer market. Then you've got a manager who's there for the next four years.

As a player, that 💧really gives you🥂 a feeling of comfort because the 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 everybody a boost, kꦰeeps everybody on track and keeps the supporters on side and happy, which is exactly what you need.

Why wo🐠uldn't he sign a new deal? Why wouldn't the club give him o😼ne? 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 dip 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 memoꦍries he's going to create moving forward.

He might not be as decorated as some of the managers in years gone by right now, but I꧒ still think he'll be remembered equally among the greats.

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

I know Gerard Houllier and Rafa Beneꦫtiz finished second, but it wasn't really close.

So, Klopp has brought Liverpool back, they're challenging for titles and the🐼 Champions League most seasons.

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

His legacy is already there; what he does from this po✤int is a bonus.

 If he left tom𝕴orrow, 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 t🤪ogether.

Anfield is again a place that opposing team🏅s are terrified of – th🌃e 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 wi🎐th 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 contrast over different decades, but as we sta𝓰nd now, he's going to be a legend and somebody who the fans will talk about for decades to come.

The astounding thing i𝔉s🀅 that he'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 replacing, but most of them have lo🌞ads 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 s✨poke spoke to Lijnders first before 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 Patriಌce Berge, Phil Thompson, and Samm🍒y Lee.

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

They also communicate be🌳tween the manager and the players, so obviously P๊ep Lijnders is somebody who does that very 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 available 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 man𝓡ager, so any criticism around his management when ꦚhe got the sack was unfair.

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

But he was kept on by Chelsea by the best managers they've e✅ver had because he 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, an🌄d he seems to suit it rea꧟lly well.

He is going to be someone who is vitally important to Liverpool, ꧋because the ꦯmanager 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 reason💎s, because he's a wonderful player.

He's been absolutely sensational☂ and exceeded everyone's🌱 expectations.

The goals he brings are🍷 very ha﷽rd to replace and very expensive, 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 ꦑa different challenge in mind.

It's always hard to try and put yourself in the mindset of somebody else, because everyone has a different upbring💛ing. This affects 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 𝐆a scouser, then I'd be saying he'll stay.

But he's not, and we don't know ♋what he's thinking or what h꧅is agent or support network is saying to him.

I'm starting to get worried that it h꧒asn't been done, but sometimes these�� negotiations can take a long time to settle.

 The longer it goes on, the more worried I am, and it's the same wiꦕth 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 Curܫtis Jones, I just think it would be very difficult to re🌃place 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 Jor🐷dan 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 roleܫ, but he could if Fabinho is injure🐼d, and I think he could become a great number eight in a better side.

He'll be able to get forward more and score goals, whi♌ch he has shown🅷 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 mindset, if Liverpool we𓄧re to only sign Declan Rice, it would be phenomenal.

However, as I said, I think✱ it𝓰 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?

Carv🐎alho’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 you✃ng talent, but he isn't going to get into the XI as it stands now.

So, we'd be seeing glim🉐pses 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, iꦓt's unlikely we’ll see anyone getting the𒐪mselves into that side ahead of Diaz, Mane, and Salah.

But 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 need more youngstღers coming through.

Obviously, they think highly of him, and I've seen him enough to know he's a super t🐓alent, 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 appoi🐬ntment, but he's proved us wrong.

 He's come out of the Championship with not only a huge number of points, but with grea෴t style.

They've played really good football, and that's a credit 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, because 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 broug▨ht in a lot of players who had never played in the Premier League, which was obviously a mistake.

The next time they didn൩'t spend that much at all, so they need to find a happy medium.

That'll be 🅺the key for Marco Silva's success and the teams, but he's very well thought of at🅷 the club.

Everyone speaks hi🌊ghly 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.

So, we'll wait and see on♛ the recruitment, but my feeling is they'll have to be cute and clever as w🦩ell as spend some money to be competitive.

But, fingers crossed, I really hope tꦓhey 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 second thing is the way th🥃e rest of the team plays and how t💖hey can help you bring out his best attributes.

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

It'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 t💟he best that they can and getting him en💟ough service, because 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 inj🥃uries, but if you're sharp as a striker, then you'll score more goals.

I think he's more than capable of having a decent seaso☂n in the Premi🉐er League.

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 les💦s about Tottenham and more about Conte.

I🎶 think it would be🐓 one of those situations where you can't attach too much blame on the club.

They've negotiated a deal with Conte for this season and the next, paying him aಌ lot of money, and 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. They could still get that final spot in the Champions League, s🍃o Conte leaving would be a big negative for Spurs.

It wouldn't be on them; they'd be compensated, of cour꧙se, but it would come down to a question of loyalty in the en♔d.

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

They could dig t🧔heir heels in because he's under cont🍸ract, and refuse to accept his decision.

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

I don't think it'll happen, though; Conte is a loyal guy, and I think he wants to succeed at Tottenham bec🅰ause it's a challenge for h♑im.

Getting in the Cဣhampions League wou🃏ld obviously help, but I'd be really surprised if he left.

﷽ It would be problematic for Spurs to get someone in of equal 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 might push for a move if it happens, but he's under contract, 🥀and it's s🌊howed last year that Spurs weren't going to let him go.

I'm not sure on how that would play out, but I can see him staying 🅺now.

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 see Kane in a Spurs shi🎀rt 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?

Winn🌞ing trophies wiജth 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 b💎ack on and be proud of.

It takes a little bit of luck, tremendous hard work and dedica༒tion🐟 to your profession, which of course the players had.

But it takes a certain mentality, becau🐬se you have to keep producing big performances in hug🀅e moments.

You also have to unders💦t👍and that not every game is going to be your game.

 We had a great mindset of players in that squad who wer♌e unselfish, and who di🙈dn’t act like prima donnas.

I think the current Liverpool sq🧸uad have that in abundance.

There's lots of fa🔯ctors that add up to success, but ultimately you need to have that quality in what you do.

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

Even if Liverpool were to win a treble this season, one of those trophi💜es would be 🎃one of the big ones in the shape of the Premier League or Champions League.

Winning three trophiﷺes would be a remarkable season for Liverpool, and to win all four would be the best seas🌌on anyone has ever had, which speaks for itself.

But, for me, if it were just the FA Cup and the Champions League, then it would still go down as one of the greatest seasons i🌳n Liverpool's history.

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

We were resilient like them, and we were🥀 good defensively.

We weren't as good as the current side in terms of creativity; the attacking play and we didn't have that dynamไism or speed.

We had Michael Owen, who wa⛎s one of the bes🤪t strikers in the world for a while, but we were quite reliant on him.

We had Robbie Fowler and Emile Heskey, wh💟o wཧere quality players, but Michael was someone who we relied on a lot.

🌜 Salah scores a lot of goals, but the likes of Mane, Jota▨, and Diaz all contributed with goals themselves.

They're more dynamic and creative tꦐhan we were, though. If you look at the fullbacks, for example, what they do and the numb♏er of assists they get is remarkable.

They're a better side and more complete, but we share th♉e same resilience and winning mindset, eveꦚn when you aren't playing well, because you have to.

I think the only real similarity is that determi🌺nation to win games and 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.

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

Sami Hyypia woul🍌d maybe partner Virgil van Dijk and Michael Owen through t🔯he 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, people lik👍e Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler were brilliant with the young lads, and they were really great to be around.

They supported you, a🌟nd Robbie remained that figure when Macca left.

But the likes of Dietmar Hamann and Ga🎃r🔯y McAllister became really influential with their experience and wisdom, as well as the calmness and ability they had to talk you through certain moments during matches.

We had a nice balance of hungry young players, including the likes of myself, Stevie (Gerrarꦍd), 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.

So, all in all, I’d say Didi, Robbie a🎀nd Macca 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 watch𒁃ing them win it, as I left the same season, so part of me wasn’t there, so to speak.

ꦜ 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 𒊎being honest.

He didn't have to be, but I appreciated that looking💯 back, because I liked playing and I didn'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 your 20s an📖d you think you're mature and understand everything.

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 pla🌌y and be first choice with other players coming in.

The one thing I did love in life was 🌱playing football, and I didn'💞t want to become somebody who's hanging on to something.

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

I would have tried to prove him wrong,𒊎 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 from 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 wh﷽o wanted the job when Roy got it.

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

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

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

It was destined𝓡 to fail really, so he probably learnt a lot from that experience.

🍬 If given another chance, he would do things differently, but nothing is ever certain in football when these oppor🦩tunities 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-res♛pected, but the Torres situation and Gerrard getting injured at a crucial time didn't hel♔p.

I think playing th🔥e kids and going out of the Cup was a mistake, but it was a bꦐad time, which wasn't all his fault.

Roy is an honest guy. I'm sure he woul𝓰d say that he made some mistake﷽s.

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

He has to work tremendously hard on his philosཧophy and his tactics.

He's got to try to get the players on board with it and work on their fitness, because they h𒆙ave t♔o be stronger and sharper all over the pitch.

There's real🧜 quality in the squa🍸d, 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, because currently, there isn't༒ one.

They're not high poss🥂ession and they're not a counter-attacking team, so it's hard to see what they are right now.

They just rely on individual quality every so often, mainly Cristiano Rona🅠ldo, so th💎ey need an identity back.

Ten Hag needs a way oꩵf 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 needs🍒 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 physicality need to come back, which comes from the fitness a🌠nd the mentality of the players.

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

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

It’s the same with Klopp. He can get the best pl✃ayers at Liverpool to work hard to retrieve the ball like they're youn𒊎g kids trying to impress the manager.

It’s the manager’s job to start with a great tactical plan and quality players on the pitch to in🔥ject the team with a chance of winning..

But༺ it's a hell 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 not; 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 w꧅ith his England career and the World Cup.

I think he's got enough ๊abou𝄹t 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 complete midfield package, but I'm a big 🅘fan of Phillips.

Either could play top four, Champions League football, because the🦩y've both shown that.

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

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

West H♎am 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 just delays Dec🦹lan Rice from competing for titles and Champions L๊eague 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 ther💦e will be a compromise, or someone will pay the money to get him in, because he's that good.

 He's got great var🙈i🥃ation 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 h💙e goes to will have him for eight years at least, because he's young aꦚnd hungry to succeed.

He's a future England captain, so getting him now may seem excessive and over the top, but that🎐 price isn't going to go dow𒀰n.

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 a♐ny of those teams to go out and buy him, because he's that good.

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