Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has slammed the build-up to Sunday’s match against long-time rivals Manchester United, describing it as a potential banana skin.

The gaffer was not happy with the combined XI featuring only Liverpool players which was compiled by a UK newspaper a few days ago.

He believes the combined XI is very insulting as it regurds United as nobody.

“People are trying to create it as a banana skin,” said Klopp at a presser on Friday.

“They are trying to make it as we are THE team and they are nobody. I saw the combined lineup and it’s really funny – 11 Liverpool players and no Man United players.

“That is the situation everyone creates: that we are so good and they have so many problems, they can not play football anymore and we are flying.”

Klopp also thinks the combined XI was made by Manchester United supporters who are trying to instil overconfidence in his team.

The Reds are 15 points clear of their old rivals with only eight matches played.

He said: “Yes I would [find the buildup insulting]. I saw all these things and it looks like they want to help Man United. All these articles look like they have been written by Man United supporters.

“We’ll live with it. In the dressing room, that’s the one advantage they have at the moment. And playing at home. It’s like we have said: ‘Here’s the combined team’ but we had nothing to do with it.

“I expected things like that this week but I was still surprised when I had a little look at the newspapers that the difference [between the teams] was that massive. I’ve never seen a combined lineup like this but, in general, with the mood that these things create, yes I would use it.”