LOVREN COMES IN FROM THE POLLED

After two weeks of misery, Kop fans rally round by voting him player of the month

DEJAN LOVREN has been named Liverpool’s player of the month – with the approval of boss Jurgen Klopp.

It has been a dreadful couple of weeks for the Croatian international, who was substituted after 31 minutes as Liverpool lost to Spurs at Wembley.

Then his family were subjected on social media to a death threat that so incensed him he published it.

Finally his house was targeted by burglars during Wednesday’ night’s Champions League win over Slovenian side Maribor.

But after Klopp appealed to Liverpool fans to stop criticising the defender, they responded in numbers to back him in the club’s player-of-the-month poll.

Now he could return from his calf problem to face West Ham at the London Stadium this evening.

Klopp, delighted that the fans reacted to his plea, said: “In the more difficult moments you have to really show togetherness.

“We all make mistakes. Dejan made a mistake or two in a game but that’s

not a problem. We still can show togetherness.

“It shows how fans are different from the people who are very loud on social media. That’s how I see it.”

But Klopp also warned his players to be wary of social media.

The German knows it is unrealistic to expect his players to shun all of it but urged them to ignore criticism from outside the club.

“I cannot say ‘don’t do it’ because there are a lot of things we have to do on social media,” said the Liverpool boss.

“I have no problem with information. I have no problem with little things, but when it comes to the things we think about the game it’s only our opinion that should matter.”

Klopp – who revealed that Liverpool full-back Nathaniel Clyne, who hasn’t played this season, has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a back problem – has noted Slaven Bilic’s claims that West Ham can capitalise on Liverpool’s defensive frailties.

“We had the information about what Slaven Bilic said yesterday about us,” he said. “They are quite confident, and maybe they have good reason to be.

“But we will go there to compete, to battle, and to show our quality. Let’s go to West Ham and make their lives as difficult as possible.”

Liverpool won 4-0 at the London Stadium at the end of last season but Klopp is not expecting such an easy ride tonight, even though the struggling Londoners are just a point above the relegation zone.

“I’m not sure if they’re really struggling,” he said.

“They have had good results, and were really good against Tottenham.”