MY RED STAR
Klopp gives Fabinho his big chance .. ... at last
FORGOTTEN £43m man Fabinho will get the chance to prove his worth to Liverpool. Injuries to Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson, mean Jurgen Klopp will send the Brazilian into European battle against Red Star Belgrade tonight. “He’s fantastic and can improve us,” says Klopp.
JURGEN KLOPP believes it is finally time to unleash the new-look Fabinho.
And the Liverpool boss believes his £43million summer signing is ready to prove he is capable of taking the team to another level, with his “perfect attributes” as a holding midfielder.
The Reds have not been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks despite hunting down Manchester City in the league, and the Brazilian has struggled to find his feet too, making just one competitive start for his new club – in the League Cup.
Yet Klopp is adamant it is merely a matter of learning a completely different system.
And he now feels Fabinho knows enough to make everything thing click for the Merseysiders, and provide a new dimension of quality.
“We already made the decision he’s the right player, yes, when we signed him. He has the qualities, all the qualities,” said Klopp.
“Hard challenges, good offensively, defensively, quick, good shooter, fantastic set-pieces, good header, all these things. Good strategically too in the right moment.
“He’s just a fantastic addition and can improve us.”
With the Reds boss ruling out Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson for tonight’s crucial Champions League game with Red Star Belgrade, and Adam Lallana unlikely to start as he eases back from long-term injury, Fabinho looks a certain selection. Klopp has yet to decide, but dropped the biggest hint possible when asked if he had a chance: “Yes, it’s clear. It’s his birthday by the way so it would be a nice present, eh?
“It’s got better and better from him and now it’s good. I haven’t decided how we will start but of course it’s very important for us he’s here for a few months already, got used to a few things... so we will use him.”
The problem has not been with Fabinho’s quality, but with the long learning curve needed to understand the complicated pressing tactics in a Klopp system.
And the Anfield boss conceded the former Monaco star is not the cocky type who demands attention. “You come to a club and it depends a bit on your personality,” he said.
“He’s not the loudest person on the planet. He is rather reserved, looking, watching, absorbing, and it always takes a little bit more time.
‘‘But on the pitch, he is back now and that’s good.
“I’ve no problems, honestly. Go back a year and Andy Robertson – he played what, one or two games by this stage, and then he became the player he now is.
“I’ve said it a few times, I can’t shorten that time it takes. Maybe somebody can, I can’t.
“You come into my team, it needs a bit of time. Ilkay Gundogan needed more or less half a year without being in the squad.
“After that he played pretty much each game, that’s how things go. You need to adapt to the style of play, that’s just it.”
Trent AlexanderArnold will also return, along with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, which means Dejan Lovren, Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaqiri make way.