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We must learn from what Klopp has achieved so far at Anfield. England players need identity and direction, and Southgate can help by putting his stamp on the team Says ADAM LALLANA
THESE days, you know what you are getting with Liverpool.
Goals, a bamboozling fluidity of movement and an understanding between Jurgen Klopp’s players that Adam Lallana believes is “almost telepathic”.
With Tottenham, it is organisation that makes their defence the best in the Premier League. At Manchester City and Arsenal, it is a commitment to an attacking philosophy, home
and away. Jose Mourinho has a clear idea of the direction in which he wants to take Manchester United. Ditto Ronald Koeman with Everton. England? No idea. No permanent manager. No real identity and a fanbase frustrated that despite in-form players competing at the top of the Premier League – and in Europe – we continue to go nowhere.
Right now we are muddling through, with Gareth Southgate’s blueprint yet to be established. No wonder the players cannot wait for his situation to be resolved, so that he can work with them on drafting England’s calling card.
“Your manager represents the team and brings the identity to what he wants the team to do, act and play,” said Lallana.
“It shows in the way you play as, over the year, Liverpool have gradually become what Klopp wants us to be. It doesn’t happen overnight.
“It would be nice for Gareth, and for us quite soon, to know whether he’s going to get the job on a permanent basis. So that you can build towards having a certain identity that your manager wants you to have. For quite a few years
now we’ve not done brilliantly at major tournaments so it’s up to us to maybe find an identity.
“Whether it’s the mental side of the game at tournaments that we’re struggling to cope with, we need to overcome that. By good hard work, I think we can do that.”
If England want a man from whom to take their lead, they could indeed do worse than look at Klopp – someone who has turned Liverpool into serial thrillers, with their own personality, after a year of hard work. It can be done. The parallels are striking. Like England, Liverpool had been drifting until their German coach infused them with confidence, belief and a plan.
Now Klopp (below with his skipper Jordan Henderson) has seen his side score more goals than any other Premier League team since his arrival at Anfield a year ago.
The Reds have a cohesiveness that England could only dream of right now, despite the language barrier. “It’s cliched but football has its own language,” said Lallana, 28. “For example, Firmino doesn’t speak brilliant English – although better English than I speak Portuguese – but I feel like I’ve got that relationship with him on the pitch where you don’t need to be speaking to each other.
“It’s almost telepathic. At times, when you see Firmino, Coutinho and Sadio Mane linking up, they are everywhere. That’s not because they speak the same language or they speak English. Phil is very shy, his English is great. He just doesn’t speak it too often.
“It’s almost telepathic – just knowing each other’s games inside out.” Lallana has impressed as much as anyone under the Klopp regime, with his fantastic awareness for finding space and the goals he has allied to his game.
So far this season he has scored three for his club – against Hull, champions Leicester and Arsenal – and one for England, against Slovakia in September.
Asked what Klopp has done to help his game, he replied: “Whatever he has done different to me, I think he has done to everyone! “It isn’t just myself. As a team, we are performing to a high level. I am enjoying working with him, I feel I have a really good relationship with him and that he trusts me.
“I trust him as well and, when you have that connection, he can say stuff to you that you don’t want to hear, and it doesn’t feel negative or personal. It’s always just about wanting to win.”
With Liverpool top of the league and top of the scoring charts, Lallana has every reason to rock up to international duty with his chest puffed out.
“Definitely,” he added. “Confidence is a thing that you can’t just switch on and off. When you have confidence, it’s important to take advantage and use it as much as you can.
“I have that confidence just now and I want to take it on to the international stage.”