KLOPP: ATTACK IS IN MY HEART

Anfield boss refuses to take step back despite 5-0 thrashing by City

JURGEN KLOPP remains convinced his philosophy will eventually take Liverpool to glory... even if he admits it sometimes leaves him chasing miracles.

The Reds boss will show he’s his own man by axing keeper Simon Mignolet tonight to give Loris Karius a Champions League chance, despite the inevitable criticism he will face if it goes wrong. Klopp held his hands up yesterday to admit he got it wrong by continuing with his all-out attacking policy even with 10 men against Manchester City at the weekend.

“The criticism was correct,” said Klopp. “I felt the same after the game. Maybe I should have changed things.

“In the second half I played a big part in our performance.

“It was clear we needed a miracle but if you don’t try to make a miracle come true then you will never get one!

“It’s true, we were too offensive in the second half – the criticism was right.”

Yet Klopp knows the criticism he faced on Saturday will be nothing compared to the storm a poor performance by Karius will invoke tonight.

Sevilla, who beat the Reds in the final of the Europa League in 2016, represent a stern test for the Mersey men on their return to the Champions League. The German coach knows there are many ready to pour scorn if he axes Mignolet, regarded as his No.1, in

favour of the young German keeper who has had such a tough time at Anfield.

But the Kop boss simply doesn’t care about that and will instead stick to his belief that he can’t have a natural hierarchy of goalkeepers because they are all on the same level, including third keeper Danny Ward.

“I have decided already who is the goalkeeper tomorrow,” said Klopp, still smarting after the 5-0 Etihad drubbing.

“If nothing happens overnight then Loris will start. I prefer having a group of good goalkeepers and that means you have to change things.”

Karius was severely criticised for dallying on the ball in the 4-0 win over Arsenal last month but Klopp interpreted his performance a different way.

“He was very cool with the ball,” he said. “I know for some people he was too cool with the ball but that can happen with no rhythm.

“Now he has had that game it helped him a lot and he will start tomorrow.”

Asked if that means Belgium international Mignolet is no longer his No.1, Klopp responded with barely-disguised anger. “Of course not,” he said.

“What if we have Simon as No.1 and I don’t play the other goalkeepers at all throughout the season?

“If we don’t give them a game then every year we have to find a No.2 of 32-years-old who can still catch a ball but who doesn’t want to play any more – it’s really difficult to find someone like that.

“That’s the plan. It’s not to keep them happy, it’s to use the quality of the goalkeepers. And then their performances will decide who will play.”

Klopp said the tag of Anfield No.1 is always up for grabs.

“Why do we think No.1, 2, 3 is fixed until the end of all days?” he said.

“I don’t want to bring that in doubt, but how can you ask if he’s No.1?

“By the way, it’s not that he shouldn’t be No.1.

“If the players are not happy with the decision .... we’ll, I don’t have to think about that too much.”