Age was no barrier for young Reds — Klopp

JURGEN Klopp took full responsibility for his inexperienced Liverpool side’s goalless FA Cup draw with Sky Bet League Two high-fliers Plymouth and he is unlikely to repeat the experiment this week.

The Reds face Southampton in the first leg of their EFL Cup semifinal on Wednesday and, despite January becoming an even busier month now they have to fit in a replay against Argyle, Klopp will resist the temptation to rest players in midweek ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.

“That’s only in a few days. More experience? I have no idea but probably yes, it’s pretty likely,” Klopp said after naming t he youngest team — with an average age of 21 years and 296 days — in the club’s history. “I don’t think the line-up was a mistake but you can see it like this if you want.

“We made mistakes in the game and always with the boys the good things they are responsible for and the bad things I am responsible for.

“If you want to see it (the result) in a bad way then I am 100% responsible, I have no problem with that.

“I always choose line-ups to win the game and I accept it was not to see in all situations but in a lot of them it was.

“There is a long season still to go and we need to change. If you make that many changes, it doesn’t make it easier for the boys — I know this — but they need this experience and now they have it so we can go on.

“We didn’t think for a second about the age, they are important players in our squad and that’s why we used them.”

Visiting manager Derek Adams was delighted with Plymouth’s performance as Argyle became only the fifth side in the last year to keep a clean sheet at the home of the freescoring Reds.

“It is probably one of the best defensive performances Anfield has seen,” said the former Ross County boss.

“We limited Liverpool to not many (opportunities). We dealt with them well and the players have worked extremely hard.

“It would be naive as a manager to come to Anfield and think you can go at top-class players.

“We are a League Two club, they are a Premier League club with players at international level.

“We allowed them time but didn’t allow them space.

“This was about a team performance. We had 13 players and they all deserve a huge amount of credit.”

Asked what Liverpool could expect in the replay at Home Park he said: “Welcome to the real world.”

Plymouth manager Derek Adams watches his side draw at Anfield.