Our back-up players are good enough, claims angry Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP has launched a robust defence of Liverpool’s back-up players, accusing those demanding that he invest heavily to improve the depth of his title-winning squad of having short memories.
Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were disappointing in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, both being substituted before their team’s impressive finale. January signing Takumi Minamino is still settling at the club, while Naby Keita has shown signs of promise despite some injury issues.
But there is a general sense that Liverpool’s attacking panache is compromised when any of the front three are unavailable.
“You can be critical and you will be critical in future. It is not so nice in life but it is normal people forget,” Klopp said ahead of tonight’s game away to Brighton.
“We played against Barcelona, for example, with a lot of changes and played an outstanding game. One of the best games for this team ever. Whatever your first XI is, and I have an idea, these [other] boys did the job.
“On a day against Aston Villa when the team is not performing at the highest level, when the pitch is dry like the Sahara and the wind is blowing like mad like you are on a ship out there on the sea, it is really difficult to make an impression.
“So, if you have a lack of rhythm, or are changing positions, that is how it is. Now we talk about these players not making enough pressure on the first XI? Or they are not close enough?
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“Oxlade-Chamberlain, if he is not in your first XI, he has played incredible games for this club. He won the game almost alone against [Manchester] City a year or two ago. He is not the worst footballer since then.
“It is not easy. I cannot judge people on a game in which the whole team is not performing great. I see them in training and I know they are more than options for me, and that is really good.”
Klopp reiterated that Liverpool did not expect to make signings until the financial impact of Covid-19 was much clearer.
“Are players out there on the market who could help us as well? Probably, yes,” he said. “This is a challenge to us to improve a really good football team. But time is a challenge as well. Nobody knows what the future will hold for all of us, so how can we make decisions, really expensive decisions, about how we deal with it?
“This team is how it is. It does not mean we do not want to strengthen it if we have the opportunity. This is a difficult year for all football clubs in the world and it is not a time when we talk about transfers as if the rest around us has not happened. It is not possible. At least, not for us.
“We cannot do it like this. Other clubs maybe can, but this club is led in a specific way.” (© Daily Telegraph, London)
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