KLOPP’S PUTTING A BRAVE FRONT ON
JURGEN KLOPP claims he would not swap his misfiring strikers for any rivals in the Premier League.
Liverpool have dropped precious points in the Premier League and in Europe because of profligacy in front of goal.
The Reds lack a natural goalscorer like Romelu Lukaku (circle) or Harry Kane (bottom), but Klopp insists his strike-force will come good.
“I’m really happy,” he said. “We have Roberto Firmino. OK, maybe not 25 goals but ask anyone in the Premier League and they will say, ‘What a player’.
“We have Daniel Sturridge. We all know about his potential. And now he’s fit. Then everyone will ask for a fit Daniel Sturridge and want to have him.
“That we don’t score at this moment is not the fault of one player. Yes, maybe Harry Kane would have scored one or two of the chances we had but he has missed chances in games.
“So it’s not always about asking for other players. You work with what you have and that’s what we’re doing.”
Liverpool’s wastefulness in front of goal has contributed to a frustrating run of just one win from their last six games ahead of tomorrow’s trip to St James’ Park.
Yet Klopp sees no point in berating his forwards and says his job is to boost their confidence. “Do you really think I should speak about the two headers Roberto had and the one that Mo Salah had in the game against Moscow?” said the German (above).
“That’s not how it works. We all know these boys will score. The difficult thing in a situation like this is to stay confident, to do it again and again and again.
“My work is to help the boys do it better – it makes no sense to criticise finishing.”
Klopp was also defiant about Liverpool’s faltering start, insisting he is not going to give up just because Manchester United and Manchester City are playing so well.
“There are a few teams who are obviously flying,” he said. “It does not mean the other teams should not try to fly also. “Do we all have to give up and say, ‘They are so good this year, oh my God, I really want to have a season ticket for Manchester City or United’? Or are we allowed to sort out our own problems and improve?
“We have 11 points in the league so far.
“It’s not perfect but it’s not like we cannot see the other teams ahead of us.”
Amid talk that Liverpool’s pre-Christmas trip to Arsenal could be scheduled for Christmas Eve, Klopp said: “These decisions don’t need the manager’s input, they don’t need the input of the club executives: what they need is common sense.”