Gini has to hold on to his vital midfield role
JURGEN KLOPP pulled Georginio Wijnaldum aside in pre-season and told him this moment would come.
It doesn’t get much bigger than tomorrow night’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City.
With skipper Jordan Henderson suspended and Emre Can injured, Klopp will turn to Wijnaldum to hold together Liverpool’s midfield.
The Dutchman passed an audition in the holding role in Saturday’s dull derby draw with Everton.
Creative
He finished with a 95 per cent pass completion rate as he swapped his usual task of chasing down loose balls and breaking from midfield to become the man starting attacks from deep.
“That was obviously the plan, to use the chance, and, yes, it was good,” said Klopp.
“Gini is a brilliant player for an attacking wide midfielder. He is creative, he is good with the ball and he has good vision.
“In the first half he started dribbling and I was like, ‘Okay, you want to put grey hair on my head’. But it was a mature performance and I like that.”
The Toffees weren’t anywhere near as threatening as a City side desperate to overturn their 3-0 firstleg deficit will be.
Wijnaldum said: “I played the position in pre-season.
“The manager said at that time it can happen, that I will play in that position, so he might look to do it in the future. Now that time has come.
“We are not going to sit back. We are going to play our game. That is what we always do.”
The fact Klopp could use a Merseryside derby to rest players and experiment showed the significance of tomorrow’s game.
Liverpool had early chances with young striker Dominic Solanke forcing Jordan Pickford into a good reaction save.
Everton hit back and Yannick Bolasie’s long-range strike was tipped wide by Loris Karius.
Angry
Cenk Tosun and Dominic CalvertLewin then wasted late chances to end Everton’s eight-year winless run in the Merseyside derby.
But the earlier drama had been Wayne Rooney’s angry reaction to being substituted before the hour mark after another below-par midfield performance against a big side.
Boss Sam Allardyce told the former England captain to accept his decision because the stats don’t lie. “It’s simple for me,” said Big Sam. “There’s my eye in the game and then there’s the stats after the game. When those stats match what I’ve seen, for any player, it’s where we make our decisions.
“We talk to the player about that situation, whoever it might be, and say levels have to be lifted.
“And when that continues to happen, no matter who it is, whether it’s Wayne, Phil Jagielka, Tom Davies or whoever, you get left out.” EVERTON (4-3-3): Pickford 7; 6, COLEMAN 7, Keane 6, Jagielka 80), Baines 6; Davies 6 (Baningime 57, 6); Schneiderlin 5, Rooney 5 (Gueye Walcott 5, Tosun 6, Bolasie 4 (CalvertLewin 61, 6). Subs: Robles, Martina, Niasse, Funes Mori. League, UP NEXT: Swansea (a), Premier Saturday. 7; LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Karius Clyne 6, Lovren 6, Van Dijk 6, Klavan 8 6; Wijnaldum 7, Henderson 6, MILNER 6 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 68, 6); Ings 5, Mane 6 (Alexander-Arnold 89), Solanke (Firmino 74). Subs: Mignolet, Jones, Masterson, Camacho. UP NEXT: Manchester City (a), Champions League, tomorrow. Referee: Michael Oliver 8. YOUR TURN: Who scored Liverpool’s last-minute winner when they beat Everton 1-0 away last season?