Dean Smith is a school chess champion but reckons he is facing a grand master in Jurgen Klopp.
The Norwich City boss has previously labelled himself a ‘data geek’, but far less well known is Smith's prowess at the intellectual pursuit that saw him crowned a West Midlands’ school champion.
Smith on Friday cited chess as one of his release valves from the pressure of spearheading the Canaries’ Premier League survival mission.
But in Klopp he faces a master of his craft.
“He’s certainly got a few more pieces than me he can play at the moment,” said Smith. “Yes we're coming up against the grand master and I'm really looking forward to it.
"I play a bit of online chess. I haven't been playing too much of late, but I enjoy going head to head with the best coaches in the world.
"I try and relate that to the players why they should enjoy going head to head with some of the top players in the world.
"We know the odds are stacked against us but we've seen it before when there's an opportunity these challenges can be met head on.
"If it was chess he might have an advantage in terms of the quality of players, but our mindset is going to be a really important part of it. We have to try and out-think them where we can.
"It's amazing, you know, what he's done at Liverpool in the time he's been there. I think it's 50 wins in the Champions League alone now.
"We've had some good battles against them for my previous club. We obviously have them twice now in the space of two weeks, so we obviously have to come up with some tricks where we can.”
Smith inflicted a remarkable 7-2 league defeat on Klopp’s champions in October 2020. The City chief was pressed to disclose what Klopp’s reaction was to that Villa Park mauling ahead of their latest coaching reunion.
“He just said, ‘Wow’. We were very good on the day. We punished any mistake that they made,” he said. “I do remember saying to him at the time, even at 6-2 up, I was still uncomfortable. That's the sort of team that Liverpool have got. It's a long time ago and they've moved on, I've moved on.
“You have to have belief, first and foremost, that you're capable of going and getting results. We as coaches, you have to fill the players with that belief, show them some positive moments against the top teams we’ve had. I don't expect us to be carving Liverpool open time and time again.
"But when the chances do come then we've got to be ready for them and take the opportunity, and limit our mistakes.”
Norwich were swept aside by Manchester City last weekend but another member of the elite will present different tactical challenges.
“They’re a really good counter-pressing team, as everybody knows,” said Smith. “Prior to that Inter Milan Champions League game in midweek, the statistics showed Liverpool make the most regains in the opposition half.
"You've got to be good on the ball in your own half, otherwise they will win the ball back and create opportunities.
“They are top of the set piece list in the league as well this season. So we all know their threats. But we've got to find a good balance of how we're going to attack, how we're going to score goals, because the be all end all is you have to score more than them.
“We have a game plan. You must try and deal with those transitions, in terms of how you want to compress the play and create a mid block, but also when we are on the ball. How we build against them, and how we're going to create.
"There's some similarities between them and Man City, but there's obviously a difference in the terms of how they play.”
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