JURGEN’S SO SOLID CREW
Klopp’s back to basics with strikers absent Vieira’s got Eagle eye on half-ton
JURGEN KLOPP has hailed his squad’s commitment to “rock solid” defending in the absence of their attacking stars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
The Reds have kept three clean sheets in four games since their main scorers (right) headed to the Africa Cup of Nations – their only concession came as a much-changed team thrashed Shrewsbury 4-1 in the FA Cup.
Klopp says his players have put even more focus on keeping out the opposition in order to mitigate their loss of dynamic front two.
He said: “It’s essential, it’s the only way you can do it.
“When you lose key players for injuries or tournaments, then the solution is not that you will be flying in the next game.
“It’s not that you say, ‘OK now we will score five or six and create chances like hell’. Wherever they are on the pitch, whether it’s strikers, midfielders or whatever, you have to adapt.
“In our case, it was 100 per cent clear that we need to be solid – rock solid – and we know that, that’s a clear agreement.
“Maybe you don’t see it all the time but we are defending first, let me say it like this.
“We have to be organised, that’s the basis for everything we do.
Results
“And in this moment,
I can see outstanding commitment to our defending, that’s how it is. Everybody is 100 percent involved in everything because they understand it’s now more important than ever.
“It was clear we had to do it like this, put defending above everything to have a chance for results.
“If you want to have results, it’s not that you fly through every period of a season with three, four, five-nil results, you have to win football games 1-0, that’s how it is.
“I like them as well – I don’t like the 90 minutes most of the time but, afterwards, I take them like I take all other results. That was obviously necessary and the boys understood.”
The contribution of Virgil van Dijk has been key to that defensive form, and he has had a heavy involvement after missing almost all of last season due to a serious knee injury.
On the Dutchman, Klopp added: “It was a long road to recovery and there were little bumps going on there, but that is normal.
“Virg had to learn a lot of things, like some physical things are just not available like they were before.
“They eventually came back, but it was not like this from day one. You have to adapt to these things. There are worries. I’ve had injuries myself and you cannot ignore that.
“When you are an intelligent person like Virg, you can’t ignore everything or say, ‘Who cares?’.
“The way back to your best is a bumpy one and he did it exceptionally well.
“The biggest thing was after Covid. We still don’t understand it 100 percent.
Results
“I see when players can’t do something which was the case in one or two games.
“Now we are over that as well and I’m really pleased with the development.
“Especially with long-term injuries we have done really well. Dr Andreas Schlumberger is a massive help there.
“The structure he has implemented at the club has been incredibly helpful.”
PATRICK VIEIRA has challenged his Crystal Palace side to finish in the top half of the table, and make club history by finally breaking the 50-points barrier.
The Eagles have never hit the half-century in the Premier League, and have ended up in the top 10 just once in their 12 full
seasons there, stretching back to the inaugural campaign of 1992-93. Vieira’s side host Liverpool at Selhurst Park today with 24 points from 21 games, well in the mix for another top 10, but if they maintain their current pace they will miss out on the points milestone again.
When asked about a tophalf finish, the Eagles boss said: “It is a really good challenge for the players, because the club and the fans deserve something to be excited about.
Develop
“If we could finish higher than that it would be fantastic.
“But our objective at the moment is to develop ourselves as a team.
“When you are looking at the table, anything can happen. In the Premier League, it is difficult to win games and when you go into that moment when you don’t win, things can change really quickly.
“We concentrate on playing a good game, though the table is really important.”
Vieira added: “We have to focus on the way we want to play.
“That is, for me, the most important thing.
“If we play
well, we will be OK in the table. If we don’t play well enough then we will be in trouble.”