Klopp has no problems with winning ‘ugly’
LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp said he is happy for his team to win “ugly” during the remainder of the Premier League season if it brings results such as the fortunate 2-1 victory over Burnley at Anfield on Sunday.
Klopp’s team improved their chances of finishing in the top four, and qualifying for next season’s Champions League, thanks to Emre Can’s superb long-range shot after 60 minutes.
But, against a Burnley side with just two points away from home this season, Liverpool were forced to work hard to come back after Ashley Barnes had shot the visitors into a shock, early lead.
“I would say you need to be ready for both,” said Klopp when asked if it was important for his team to learn how to win “ugly” games. “You cannot plan an ugly game. But this was not our best game so, yes, if we want to stay where we are, then we need to win football games and we can’t make the choice and say ‘yes or no we want to play this way’.
“We all have to get used to it a little bit. It is the first ugly game we won. Usually when we are not at our best we have lost.
“It is really good today that we could do it like this. We usually win good games, but the bad games and the average games we need to be challenging too. We were today,” he added after a victory that saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs, and move five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal.
Klopp also confirmed midfielder Jordan Henderson will miss Liverpool’s trip to Manchester City on Sunday and will be unavailable for England’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania following a foot injury.
“No chance,” said Klopp. “The [international] break hopefully is two weeks, we hope that will bring him back but there will be no game in this time. He cannot train, for sure he cannot play against City. It makes sense he is doing the rehab. Hopefully he can run in the second week of the international break and then we will have to see.”