Sturridge told: Your World Cup dream can wait
JURGEN KLOPP has urged Daniel Sturridge to put his personal frustrations aside and focus on helping Liverpool hit their preChristmas targets.
The striker was the subject of a report yesterday that claimed he was looking to leave Anfield in January to save his World Cup place, having been left out of the England squad for the games with Germany and Brazil.
Sturridge has been only a sporadic starter for Liverpool this season and Klopp is expected to use his preferred attacking trident in Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino tonight as he looks to secure a place in the Champions League knockout phase with a game to spare.
Klopp is aware of the disappointment that Sturridge is feeling, but with 12 games to play between now and January 1, Liverpool’s manager will not tolerate anyone in his squad looking further down the line to next summer.
‘It’s a story, but actually I’m not really interested in stories,’ said Klopp, whose side lead Group E. ‘The situation with the player is OK. I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time. I really can imagine that. But that’s all.
‘We need all our players. There is around one and a half months before the window opens and I don’t think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them.’
Liverpool appear to have turned a corner since they last faced Sevilla and were held to a 2-2 draw at Anfield in September. They played some excellent football that night but threw two points away with some wretched defending, a weakness that scarred their early efforts.
In the last seven games, though, they have kept five clean sheets and Klopp admitted he has tempered his commitment to relentless attack. There has been a maturity about Liverpool’s play over the past month and the German is content with how things are improving.
‘When we have the ball, I have told the players to be an option to receive it or if you cannot be an option, then you give protection — simple as that,’ said Klopp. ‘It is not about counter-pressing all the time. Yes, if we can counter-press then do it. If not, then go back and defend together.
‘That is the thing we have lacked in one or two games and I think, and I hope, that we are now a step further in this. That is what we have to be and hopefully we can use it to get results. We never hesitate to do different things.’
One thing Klopp wants to be different from this trip to Seville is a positive scoreline. He has been to the Ramon Sanchez Pijuan Stadium twice as a manager, securing draws with Mainz in 2005 and Borussia Dortmund in 2010.
‘I can still hear the shouting. “Typical Aleman ( German)!” There was pretty much defence (with Mainz) but we still had the best chance to win, a header from one yard,’ said Klopp. ‘With Dortmund, we played outstandingly well and should have won but it was 2-2. We should have won.’
There is one result, however, that Klopp really wants to avenge and that is the Europa League final in 2016. Liverpool let a glorious opportunity to qualify for the Champions League and win a trophy slip through their fingers, so is this a good time, to borrow a phrase he uses, to strike back?
‘Yeah,’ said Klopp, smiling before taking a bite of an apple. ‘Yeah. Yeah! It felt quite average when we conceded against them at home. It is all good. A really interesting journey. This is the game so far. Facing Sevilla in Seville? This is the experience.’