TALK THE TALK
KLOPP’S BOYS
JURGEN KLOPP admits Liverpool’s flying start to the season would not have been possible if they had a “s**t” dressing room.
The unbeaten Reds sit top of the Premier League heading into tonight’s clash with Wolves as they enjoy their best start to a top-flight season.
Klopp’s side have been strengthened by the summer arrivals of keeper Alisson and midfielders Naby Keita and Fabinho. And January signing Virgil van Dijk continues to put a case forward to be regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. But with options in his squad, Klopp has to change things around to give big names game time. That means even skipper Jordan Henderson has had to sit out big matches, including last weekend’s 3-1 win over Manchester United, where he was used as a late substitute. But there are no tantrums, which has helped keep the mood positive.
Solved
The Liverpool boss said: “Would the run be possible without the characters in the dressing room? No chance. I always say, it is never about one player.
“It helps massively in our case that Ali and Virg are fantastic boys who ‘solved’ our problems if you like, but in a s**t dressing room there is no chance. “Hendo didn’t start against United or Milly (James Milner) because of injury. But if you see who is talking in our dressing room before a game, when the music is loud and people are shouting, it is Milly and Hendo.
“Now Virg starts, even Ali throws in a few words. It is always the same players.”
Klopp believes the club’s run to last season’s Champions League Final helped create the dressing-room buzz.
The Reds may have lost the final to Real Madrid but the ride brought the squad together as they were released from the pressure of the Premier
League.
“The ride to the Champions League helped a lot,” said Klopp. “The atmosphere at those games was outstanding. It is away from the pressure of the Premier League and no one expected us to get to the final.”
Klopp will be without
Joel Matip and Joe Gomez over Christmas but is hopeful that Dejan
Lovren will be fit to partner Van
Dijk in defence over the busy period.