Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool’s struggles in front of goal this season stem from an inability to get his key players on the pitch together for long enough. Diaz and Jota have both been injured since October and the former is not expected back until March having undergone surgery last month following a setback in his recovery from a knee injury. Firmino is another influential figure who has been sidelined of late, having missed the last eight games with a calf injury initially picked up in training before the 3-2 loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on December 22.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Yes, of course, Mo is suffering, but it was a well-drilled machine that front three (of Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane), everything was clear in what we were doing. So it’s Mo, Luis and Darwin who have played just 343 minutes together? And Diogo was not in that combination or Bobby (Firmino), that is not helpful. Not helpful. Everyone has suffered from that, that is clear. The offensive play, even with all that quality, is a lot of work. There’s a lot of information given. It is how to work to move, you create a feeling about a lot of these things, you know where your team-mate is. That is not cool but we cannot expect just to be back to our best and win 5-0 and go to the next game. We have to work hard, no-one wants to hear it but we have to do it. And then in two or three weeks we have other options and can mix it up. Now we have with Cody a really important asset, a connector, he can play the wing and the centre as well. When Darwin is playing there he is obviously more high up going in behind, so we have all different things to use. It was always clear. We never played with a No.9 before, even when Sadio (Mane) was there he was dropping in moments but that is not Darwin’s game and he is really a handful there and it is all good if they would all be in and we could build something but we haven’t been able to do that yet. We start a new chapter and talk about Mo Salah and it is maybe the start of a discussion or the end of a discussion, I have no idea. But if you’re in his boots and he scored hundreds of goals and you don’t score, the first thing you think about is not scoring at that moment. But that is not the problem at the moment. If Mo scores one in two games and we keep a clean sheet in both then we have more points. We started the season with Harvey (Elliott) in the half position in midfield and with Hendo (Jordan Hernderson) it’s different but not too different and now it is Naby (Keita) at the moment, but usually you have a real basis you build on and that is what we don’t have really. People ask, ‘why is that the case now?’ and, yes, that is not so difficult to explain. Here in this building we are 100% ready to work through that. Do I wish everything would be easier and that we qualify for finals at the end of the season? Yes, absolutely. But unfortunately I have experienced different things in my life and not all 100% super positive. But the only thing I know is the better and the clearer you behave in your down moment, the better it will be in the up and higher moments. You have to be respectful, show the right things, you have to criticise but not go mad. You have to go through it and there are finals and trophies at the end of the tunnel, they are all there, but not now. And the only problem you have now is time because no-one wants to invest time but that is how it is. This situation is not perfect, but the basis of the last two games is something I like and can work with.”
New signing Gakpo could lead the line on Sunday at the Amex as Liverpool look to gain a measure of revenge for their 3-0 defeat on the south coast two weeks ago. It’s been a quiet start to life at Anfield for the £37m Netherlands international. Klopp, though, is convinced Gakpo will be a long-term hit at Liverpool,
Jurgen Klopp said: “His defending is outstanding, you can say we bought a striker and you talk about his defending but the defending in this position is outstanding, it is what we need. Everyone is used to when the ball goes wide and inside to the six there is someone around, all of a sudden no-one is around. Then Chelsea two sixes that is the decisive bit in the engine room of the team. We just let them pass the ball and that is not good. You can see in his finishing He is a sensational finisher, his shooting from distance is outstanding but in games he has been in a bit of a rush. He has a long-term contract here. I am completely happy- people say he didn’t score but coming as a striker in our team at this moment, ‘congratulations!’, and then getting judged because you don’t score that’s not really cool. Internally it is all fine and he is fine. He is a smart boy, he really wants to learn and is a good listener. Everything is fine.”
