Whining Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has got his Sunderland excuses in early with more drivel

On Boxing Day they travel to Manchester United, where visiting fans can look forward to being patronised by “locals” suggesting that you should “enjoy your day.”

An interesting looking fixture at Burnley on New Year’s Eve is followed by a home game with Liverpool two days later.

The bookies predict an away win. But stranger things have happened than Sunderland hornswoggling a point or better on January 2.

If that should come to pass then be assured that Jurgen Klopp has put his excuses in early.

Very early. In fact it was in the middle of October.

Sunderland kick off at Turf Moor at 3pm, but Liverpool don’t start their televised game with Manchester City until 5.30pm and despite giving the impression of being permanently chuffed – he isn’t.

In fact “genial” Jurgen is proving to be a considerably whingier bloke than we were led to believe.

He claims that the 48 hours recovery time for Sunderland could be a decisive advantage when his side have a mere 45 and-a-half.

He burbled: “Forty-eight hours is an interesting idea but less than 48 hours I cannot believe. I learn more and more about this league and maybe I have to ask someone if we can ask if there will be another time for us at Sunderland.”

He did ask and, rather amusingly, was more or less told to shut his yap and get on with it.

Other recent whining from Klopp include some drivel about Sunderland not allowing Liverpool to score a pile of goals at Anfield and last week’s embarrassing catfight with the Neville brothers.

Strangely he managed Monday’s derby against Everton without bleating about something or other.

The media expects us to like him.

But there is more to being liked than simply being less ghastly than Mourinho.

Christmas, as anyone over the age of nine will be aware, is largely dreadful.

I have saved a few quid on cards by stylishly not sending any.

However, Sunderland’s one-nil annihilation of Watford on Saturday has made the “festive” period a little more tolerable.

This isn’t only because of the obvious need of the three points. It was heartening to see the level of cynicism that Watford felt the need to adopt.

There was a great deal of feigned or exaggerated injury and they wasted time as long as the score was level.

This didn’t make for a great spectacle.

But Watford are sitting comfortably in 12th, one place above where they ended last season.

If they, along with Sunderland’s other recently vanquished opponents, Bournemouth and Leicester, are the mid-table fodder we expect, then more evidence that David Moyes’ side is not as bad as we all thought is gradually coming to light.

The other win, at home to Hull City, was perhaps even more important because if you can’t win that one...

Four wins from seven games is a massive stride forward when you think of how things looked before then.

I can’t say that Sunderland were wonderful in any of them. But they were only truly bad in one of them; away to Swansea.

“Not as bad as we thought.” Six thrilling words that we could only dream of uttering not seven weeks ago.

Do you know, this has got me feeling all Christmassy.

I might just roast some tangerines, or whatever you’re supposed to do.