Tag: Jurgen Klopp

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KLOPP RATES WIN OVER AJAX AMONG HIS BEST AT LIVERPOOL.

Liverpool boss, Jurgen KLOPP has labelled Tuesday night win against Ajax as one of his best wins since joining the Merseyside

Anfield was empty, the Liverpool team depleted by injury and it was hardly a vintage performance but the 1-0 win over Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday still left manager Jurgen Klopp bursting with pride.

Honestly since I was at Liverpool that feels like one of the biggest Champions League nights. Without supporters in, it was the most important, most difficult, most exceptional,” he said.

“With the circumstances, there hasn’t been much to smile about, it’s been tricky, and the boys throw themselves into the game,” said the German after his side secured top spot in Group D.

“Robbo [Andy Robertson] has a proper knock on the ankle and pushes himself through, Hendo [Jordan Henderson] with a sore back, Gini [Georginio Wijnaldum] — I have no words for him. Curtis Jones, what a game, It’s amazing, I’m really proud.”

The 19-year-old Jones got the second-half winner and was one of the brightest players in the midfield battle.

“Curtis is a really good kid, a good player and I am happy to have him around. Sometimes with injuries there is always an opportunity and he has taken it,” he said.

Klopp had another injury headache to contend with before the game, with keeper Alisson Becker ruled out with a hamstring strain, and Irish Under-21 keeper Caoimhin Kelleher was picked ahead of the more experience Adrian.

“I really think Adrian has done a fantastic job for us, he kept a lot of clean sheets, played everywhere. But now we needed the natural football playing ability of Caoimhin Kelleher. He is a good shot stopper as well. We made that decision but you never know how they are going to cope. I am really happy with how calm he was and how good he was,” said Klopp.

Kelleher made a vital save in the closing moments to make sure of the three points.

“That’s what I’m there for, I work every day in training to make sure I am ready and I was able to make a good few saves,” he said.

“It was an amazing one for me, to make my Champions League debut was massive and we got the win and qualified. A great night.”

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KLOPP REAFFIRMS CASE FOR FIVE SUBSTITUTES.

Jurgen Klopp has reiterated the need for five substitutions in Premier League games after Liverpool’s draw at Brighton.


James Milner was forced off with a hamstring problem at the Amex Stadium, while Nathaniel Phillips also required treatment after a nasty-looking fall.

Brighton also lost two players with Neal Maupay and former Reds midfielder Adam Lallana succumbing to injury during Saturday’s lunchtime encounter.

Top flight clubs resisted proposals to extend the five substitutes option implemented during Project Restart, meaning only three changes can be made.

Klopp admits he does not know if or when another vote will be held and cited player welfare as the reason for his continuing reference to the subject.

He said: “If it was about me, I’d have never mentioned it. But it’s about the players.

“Whenever it happens, it will be good for the players. Brighton play one game a week and lost two players with muscle injuries.

“In this period, five subs is not for tactical changes. Today, we made an early sub at half-time, then a second sub, then you have to be brave to make a third sub.

“If you’re not brave, you have to wait until pretty much the 90th minute.

“If we had five subs today, I’d have taken off Andy Robertson, 100 per cent. We don’t have a lot of options at the moment so you can’t just bring them all through the season.

“It’s not the solution, but it’s a little help, that’s all.”

Liverpool were denied goals in either half at Brighton due to VAR deeming that both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were marginally offside for them.

The technology also awarded Brighton two penalties with Maupay missing first before Pascal Gross rectifying it by equalising in stoppage time.

On the decisions, Klopp added: “I was told Mo and Sadio were offside by a very small margin.

“I didn’t see it, I heard that, but it sounds like offside twice, even though it was close.

“The second penalty is a penalty because the referee whistled it. There was contact and if the referee thinks it’s enough, we can’t change that, obviously.”

Klopp also expects Milner, as well as longer-term absentees Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to miss Liverpool’s upcoming two matches.

Tuesday’s clash of Ajax in the Champions League has taken on added importance with qualification for the knock-out stage still yet to be confirmed.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ visit to Anfield next weekend will also see a long-awaited return of supporters to the stadium for a first time since mid-March.

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CHRIS WILDER LABELS JURGEN KLOPP “A SELFISH POLITICIAN”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has once again hit out at Jurgen Klopp – this time over the partial return of fans to matches.

Wilder last week accused Klopp of selfishness over his continued pursuit of reintroducing five substitutes to the Premier League.

The Blades boss now says it is unfair that Liverpool can welcome back 2,000 fans to Anfield when the national lockdown ends by virtue of being in a tier two area whilst 10 Premier League clubs will still play behind closed doors.

Wilder says he is unsurprised Klopp has not called for a return for all fans to matches.

“He’s a world-class manager and a world-class politician, who cares about Liverpool,” he said. “That’s all he cares about.

“He was never going to say what about Sheffield United getting their fans back in or Newcastle or Man City or Man United or anybody else. He’s a world-class politician.

I know his background on support and how much Anfield has been a fortress. The Liverpool support is magnificent, I know it is because my old man is from that part of the world.

” I know he’s been vocal on that and Jurgen isn’t going to say it’s not right that they can have fans in as they’re in tier two and Sheffield United, Leeds, Manchester and all the rest of the north are not allowed in.

It was funny looking at that map, wasn’t it? Shock! I think us in the north were fully expecting us to be in the old tier three as they kindly put us in.”

It comes after Wilder last week accused Klopp of being selfish over his desire to have five substitutes in the Premier League again this season.

Cards on the table, he’s going to look after his own club,” said the Blades boss. “I’ve got incredible respect for these top managers because they produce top results and win things.

“But they’re selfish, they look after their own clubs. They’re not going to be bothered about Sheffield United, they’re not going to be bothered about England.

“They’re going to be bothered about Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea, which I understand and respect. I would be the same, but I’m bothered about Sheffield United and it doesn’t help us to have five subs.”

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Jurgen Klopp has no regrets despite Atalanta BC loss

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had no regrets over the selection gamble which backfired in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atalanta and insisted he would do it again.

The Reds boss made five changes from Sunday’s victory over Leicester, including altering three of his back four, and paid for it with a first defeat at Anfield in 90 minutes since Chelsea triumphed there in September 2018.

It was Klopp’s heaviest loss in 137 matches at Anfield, the Reds’ worst since losing 3-0 to West Ham in August 2015, and the first time since data began to be collected in 2003 that they failed to record a single shot on target in a home Champions League game.

Even the return of Mohamed Salah after his positive Covid-19 test could not lift the side out of their torpor as second-half goals from Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens ensured there would be no option for Klopp to rest players in both of their final two group games.

“We made five changes, it was very important we did that, and in the end it didn’t work out and that is part of the deal. I would do it again,” he said.

“(We had) no real rhythm, first half was not a good game at all, they were not good as well. We spoke about it but second half it didn’t look like it (would change) and that is why we changed early.

“A second before we could change (Klopp was in the process of making a quadruple substitution) they scored the first goal, in a space which we knew they tried to use and we couldn’t defend in that moment.

“We had better football moments but not good enough. If you don’t have a shot on target that is never a good sign.”

Victory over Ajax next week would still guarantee safe passage and with December’s schedule, Klopp will want to avoid the nightmare scenario of having something to play for with the final game against Midtjylland.

“If I would think like this then it would be great. It is tricky, sounds easy to beat Ajax but with all the challenges we face in this country on top of the normal challenges we face already,” he added.

“My concern isn’t that I think about Ajax; we go in a few hours to play Brighton. When this game is over we start to think about Ajax.”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, whose side were beaten 5-0 in the reverse fixture three weeks ago, hailed the win as the club’s most prestigious.

“Obviously this is something which will be written in the pages of history,” he said.

“They haven’t lost a Premier League game in 64 matches. This is perhaps our biggest ever victory in our history, certainly our most prestigious.

“We were more solid in defence this time around because the defence was better protected with more players in midfield.

“This is the solution we opted for as we thought it was appropriate for this game.”

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“SALAH DIDN’T DIVE”: KLOPP DEFENDS EGYPYTIAN FOR PENALTY INCIDENT AGAINST WESTHAM, SAYS STAR HAS MARKS TO SHOW FOR IT.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hit back at accusations Mohamed Salah dived to win a penalty in Saturday’s 2-1 win over West Ham United. Salah came under criticism from West Ham manager David Moyes for his role in winning the spot kick which helped Liverpool record a victory in the Premier League.

Salah went down in the penalty area after a clumsy challenge from Arthur Masuaku. He then stepped up to score the penalty that drew Liverpool level.

West Ham manager David Moyes was upset with the decision to award a penalty but Klopp was in no doubt Salah had been fouled.

“Pretty much everyone who saw the situation thought it was a foul,” Klopp told British media, adding that he had spoken to the striker about his fitness.

“He has exactly three proper knocks on the foot and one of them is from the penalty situation,” added Klopp.

“We don’t talk much about the penalties we don’t get but now two days after we are talking about this. There was clear contact. I don’t understand the criticism.”

Liverpool face Italian side Atalanta in the Champions League later on Tuesday.

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KLOPP UNHAPPY ABOUT SCORES OF LIVERPOOL INJURIES

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp suffered another injury blow with Fabinho joining Virgil van Dijk on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Midtjylland.

Midfielder Fabinho has been filling in for Van Dijk in the centre of defence since the Dutchman suffered a serious knee injury in the Merseyside derby against Everton.

“It’s exactly the last thing we needed,” Klopp said, after Fabinho limped off in the first-half of the 2-0 win.

“I know he felt a hamstring, and that’s not good. He said he could have played on but no sprints, which doesn’t help. We will see, we will know more after a scan but clearly it isn’t good,” he added.

With centre-back Joel Matip also ruled out with injury Klopp brought on teenager Rhys Williams to partner Joe Gomez at the back.

“Rhys Williams he’s only 19-years old and I think he’s played more Champions League games than Premier League games — that’s rare,” Klopp added. “We’re doing really well but its a shock for a team because now we have to sort that injury.”

Klopp accepted that the Premier League champions were in a difficult period.

“It was a tough night. It’s a bit like in a marriage, there are good and bad times. It’s not a bad time but it’s a tricky time. 100% we have to stick together and fight harder and that’s what the boys did tonight,” he said.

The injury is likely to rule Fabinho out of Brazil’s November World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.

Meanwhile, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson believes Van Dijk will be out until next season.

Asked about his absence, Alisson told newsmen: “He’s important for the team, for all of us, for me too. Unfortunately, we ended up losing Virgil probably for the rest of the competition. We don’t know the set dates yet, anything can happen, but that’s likely, that’s what we have in hand.”

Alisson returned to play at the weekend after being sidelined with a shoulder injury for three weeks.

“To be back, to be one more part within the squad, within the team to be able to help, I’m feeling very happy,” he said. “I believe it also gives confidence to the team. Everyone we can have available now, from now on, it’s important to fight for our goals, which are big.

“It was only three weeks, to me it felt like three months. Being back, being able to help the team… For a player, being left out is the worst part of football, but it is part of the package, we are subject to injuries, nobody wants it, but we’re subject. But I tried to recover in the best way and in the quickest possible way to be back and help my teammates and getting back to the Champions League already.”

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KLOPP FURIOUS OVER HENDERSON STOPPAGE TIME GOAL CALLED OFF FOR OFFSIDE.

AN ANGRY JURGEN Klopp had two reasons to leave Goodison Park fuming after VAR cost his side the chance of victory in a Merseyside derby in which two key players sustained potentially serious injuries.

The Liverpool manager was furious Jordan Henderson’s added-time goal to make it 3-2 was ruled out for the tightest of offside decisions on review, while he was at a loss to explain how Jordan Pickford had not been dismissed and conceded an early penalty for a knee-high challenge on Virgil Van Dijk.

That tackle ended the Holland captain’s afternoon and Klopp admits the injury is “not good”, while the challenge which did result in a red card being shown to Richarlison also appears to have put Thiago Alcantara on the sidelines.

It is not good. Virgil played I don’t know how many games in a row, he plays with pain, but he couldn’t play on and that’s not good,” said Klopp.

“When I leave the pitch Thiago tells me in the Richarlison red card situation he thinks he got injured.

“Then coming into the dressing room people are standing around with a laptop and I say ‘What’s wrong?’ and they say ‘We have watched it back and we don’t understand why it (Henderson’s goal) is offside’.

“I am a real supporter of VAR – the picture I saw there is no offside, since then I have had 10 interviews and everyone tells me it was not offside and that doesn’t lift my mood.

“We lost one player in a situation where VAR was not involved with Virgil and maybe another one in the red card situation and scored a legitimate goal which didn’t count – so obviously not our day but the performance was the performance I wanted to see.”

Klopp alluded to the fact he thought Pickford may have tried to purposefully hurt Van Dijk, who had not missed a minute of Premier League football since January 2018.

It was a clear penalty I saw and then we saw the flag went up. I thought they would still look at the foul but that didn’t happen,” he added.
“I don’t want to say Jordan Pickford wanted to do it but it is not a challenge how a goalie can do in the box.”

The Pickford incident came with Everton already trailing to Sadio Mane’s third-minute goal, which was subsequently cancelled out by Michael Keane’s first-half header.

Mohamed Salah thought he had won the game with his 100th Liverpool goal in 159 matches, a brilliantly instinctive volley, but a trademark Dominic Calvert-Lewin header levelled things up again.

In the 90th minute Richarlison went in high on Thiago to become the 22nd dismissal in 57 Premier League Merseyside derbies before Henderson’s goal was ruled out after Mane was adjudged to have been offside by a barely-perceptible margin.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, who saw his Premier League leaders’ 100 per cent start to the season ended as a 10-year, 23-match winless run against their neighbours was extended, was happy with the performance.

“We could win, draw or lose. I am not talking about the result, the performance was good,” he said.

“We wanted to compete against Liverpool and we competed really well with good spirit.

“We never lost confidence, we were able to equalise two times, we had opportunities to go up with Richarlison hitting the post.

“The performance was satisfying, I am really satisfied.”

Despite another error of judgement by Pickford, Ancelotti refused to criticise his goalkeeper, who did redeem himself with three decent saves in the game.

“I think he played a good game, like the others. Good saves, he was focused in the goal, a good performance. I am not worried,” he added

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WE LOST THE PLOT AT VILLA PARK – KLOPP

Stunned Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his side did “all the things you should not do in a football match” as they “lost the plot” to play into Aston Villa’s hands in their 7-2 humbling at Villa Park in the Premier League on Sunday.

Following on from Manchester United’s 6-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool added to a remarkable day as they became the first reigning English top-flight champions to ship seven goals in a league match since Arsenal in 1953.

Ollie Watkins’ first-half hat trick set Villa en route to an astonishing victory, as Liverpool slipped to a first defeat of the season thanks to a woeful showing at the back in the Midlands.

“We played into their hands, with all the goals,” Klopp said. “Then the game has a specific direction.

“We had still good moments, but our good moments lead to nothing, other than Mo’s [Mohamed Salah] two goals.

“All their good moments lead to a big chance or goals, and that makes all the difference. All the things you should not do in a football match we did tonight, but all credit to Aston Vila, as they forced us to do those things.

“The first goal had an impact but it shouldn’t. We conceded goals like that in the past, but the reaction wasn’t good, and we lost the plot.”

A combination of missed chances and poor defending were largely to blame for the loss, according to Klopp, who said he wished the team had a training session on Monday to address the issues.

“It was unexpected but it happened tonight,” Klopp said. “For me it wasn’t a specific moment, we put all our rubbish things and mistakes in one game and hopefully we can start again.

“Tonight wasn’t sloppy, it was just bad. I have to admit that but I can’t change it. I would love to have a training session tomorrow and Tuesday and to talk about it, but the boys go back off to international duty. Hopefully they come back healthy and we use the two days to prepare for Everton.”

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith hailed the effort from his side, as they made it three wins from three in extraordinary fashion, to move up to second in the table, ahead of Liverpool in fifth.

“It was just sheer hard work and effort,” Smith said. “The work ethic, when Jurgen Klopp says ‘wow’ to you you know you’ve done something right. The lads were superb, they executed the game plan perfectly. We were at our best today.

“It’s a good start, an exceptional result and a really good start. We won’t get complacent but we’ll enjoy tonight because results like that don’t come around too often. We’ve got a lot of pride and confidence going into the international break.”

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KLOPP DISAGREES WITH CAS RULING ON CITY’S UCL REINSTATEMENT

Liverpool Manager, Jurgen Klopp has criticised the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to overturn Manchester City’s Champions League ban, declaring: “I don’t think it was a good day for football”.


On Monday, the Switzerland-based body announced that a two-year ban imposed by Uefa for Financial Fair Play breaches would be lifted, with City instead only required to pay a fine of €10m for failing to cooperate.
The news represents something of a blow for clubs like Liverpool, whose owners have previously publicly backed FFP rules that have allowed them to bring success despite moderate spending on transfers.


And, while Klopp acknowledged that City’s reinstatement to European competition is good news for his team’s title chances next term, he expressed concern over the potential long-term consequences.


He said: “From a personal point of view, I’m happy City can play Champions League next year because, when I think about the league and City has 10-12 games less for resting players, I don’t see any chance for any teams in the league, honestly.


“Apart from that, I don’t wish anybody anything bad, but I don’t think it was a good day for football yesterday, to be honest.

“I think FFP is a good idea, it is there for protecting teams and the competition, that was the idea in the start so that nobody overspends and clubs have to make sure the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.


“I’m from Germany, I’m educated in a completely different system, we have different club structures not an owner-based system. It’s clear when you get the money from, before the season you get your licence and if you don’t get the licence then you can’t be part of the competition.


“It’s not up to me to judge this, I don’t, I only think that this FFP frame for all of us, we all should stick to, that’s what rules are for. I really hope FFP stays because it gives kind of some borders. I think that’s good for football.


“If you start doing that nobody cares at all then the richest people and countries can do what they want to do but it will make the competition really difficult. That would lead automatically to a world super league with 10 clubs.


“It would depend not on the clubs but on the people who own the clubs and they can play against each other.
“I think it makes sense that we have these kind of rules. But about the judgement yesterday, I don’t know enough or understand it properly why this was the judgement.”

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“I LIKE HIM”: KLOPP REACTS TO TRANSFER LINKS WITH BAYERN’S THIAGO ALCANTARA

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his likeness for Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara amidst heavy transfer links to the premier league champions.

After the win over Aston Villa, Klopp claimed that he doesn’t wish to answer transfer related questions. However, he did mention that Thiago is a very good player and he likes the Bayern Munich star.

Klopp said to Liverpool Echo: “Would you be surprised if I don’t give an answer on that, just because I never answer these kinds of questions. Thiago Alcantara is a really good player. Like a lot of other players out there, I like (him) a lot. But that’s all I have to say about that.”

It will be interesting to see if the 29-year-old ends up at Anfield this summer.

Liverpool could use a central midfielder of his quality and it would be a tremendous signing for them. He would add craft, flair and technical ability to their midfield. The Reds have been missing that extra bit of creativity from the middle since Philippe Coutinho’s departure.

Recent reports state that Thiago could cost around €35m. The player wants a new challenge now and a move to Anfield would be ideal for him as well.

The Reds are one of the best clubs in the world right now and they will be challenging for the Premier League and the Champions League next season. Thiago could certainly help them achieve those goals.

The only downside of the move is that Thiago is injury prone and his availability could be an issue over the course of the season. If he can stay fit, he could prove to be a world-class signing for Liverpool.