Klopp needs Reds to have cool heads
JURGEN KLOPP admits his Liverpool side have to be more streetwise if they are to become champions – and conceded they must sacrifice entertainment for a win if the occasion demands.
The Reds boss gave his young side top marks for effort and attacking intent after his 15 months at the helm at Anfield, but said an ability to shut down a game has eluded them on occasions.
“I’m not sure if you can force something like this but it’s a good thing to have in football. If you are a clever side it is part of the football skills,” he said.
“If you play like we play and we win [in that style] it’s great but we do need more game-management.
“Everyone talks about our intensity but sometimes when we run like devils I have to say ‘Come on, please cool down’.
“Like Chelsea would do at 2-0 up, or when Antonio Conte was in Turin – 1-0 up, change, put on a defender. That is a mentality.
“We cannot say do it all the time. But there is a moment when you must think, ‘Let them come and we will counter-attack’.”
Liverpool have drawn confidence from the draw with Chelsea that kept alive faint hopes of a title challenge this season but travel to Hull today still searching for their first three-point haul of the year.
And they do so looking to overturn recent results having lost at the KC Stadium on their last two league visits.
Klopp is wary of the improvement shown by the relegation-threatened club under Marco Silva, with the Portuguese manager’s side unbeaten in four matches in all competitions.
And Hull have a new signing in Kamil Grosicki – who has been told there is no pressure to live up to his nickname of the ‘Polish Messi’.
The £7million deadlineday arrival from Rennes is set to make his debut today with Silva expecting big things from the skilful midfielder, who stood out during Poland’s march to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 last summer.
The 28-year-old is keen to kick-start his career after falling out of favour at Rennes, but Silva played down comparisons with Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Silva said: “His nickname is not important. I’m more interested in what he does for us, because he’s the type of player we haven’t had in the squad. He has pace, he takes people on and he can give us something a bit different.”