Jurgen Klopp reckons Manchester United have a "positive future" ahead of them with Ralf Rangnick working at the club.
The Premier League giants will fight it out on Tuesday night at Anfield, but the Liverpool boss put the rivalry aside momentarily as he paid tribute to the Red Devils' interim boss in his matchday programme notes.
Rangnick will be in charge of the Old Trafford club until the end of the season where he will then take up a consultancy role following the appointment of their next manager, expected to be Erik ten Hag. And Klopp believes United are going in the right direction with the German operating behind the scenes as he praised his compatriot's philosophy.
He said: “Ralf Rangnick has never just worked for today or for short-term results, he has always looked to get solid foundations in place so that the club he works for has a positive future. This, I would say, is very smart as well as being good news for Manchester United.
“Firstly, because it is true but also because it is important that all of us can demonstrate that underneath the rivalry, the passion and the desire to win, it is always possible to have a healthy respect for our opponents. This, for me, is what sport is about."
"Ralf Rangnick does not need to read these pages to know how much I like and respect him, but I should say it anyway for the benefit of others."
Rangnick also singled out Klopp and Liverpool in his pre-match press conference ahead of their trip to Anfield. The United boss provided a glowing review of how the Merseyside club are run, especially how they have recruited under Klopp.
Are Manchester United going in the right direction under Ralf Rangnick? Comment below
He said: "With Liverpool, it's clear why they are playing as aggressive as they do - it's since Jürgen arrived. If you compare the squad that he inherited six years ago and compare it with the present, I think there are maybe four or five players still there.
"All the others signed since then have been signed exactly under those premises: how do we want to play? They have to be able and willing to run and sprint a lot. They have to be physical. They have to be technical. They have to be clinical.
"The profile for each position [at Liverpool] has been clear and that's why they are where they are. And, here at Manchester United, this hasn't been the case with every change of manager."
