Following Saturday’s 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane against Tottenham, new boss Jürgen Klopp claims that the Liverpool team he has inherited have everything, but just need to be given more time.
Following a furious ten day settling in at Anfield, German manager Jürgen Klopp spoke in the tunnel following the draw with Spurs and said about his new team: “We don’t have to sprinkle magical dust on them and say ‘And now you can play football.’ They know how to play.”
Klopp said: “I’m not sure how many games you saw like this from Adam Lallana? What do you think? I know him since he was at Southampton and knew he can do 20 to 30 per-cent more.
“Philippe Coutinho? Do you not think he can play better football than that? Of course, he can.
“Lucas? You don’t think he can play balls on the right and left? Of course he can.
“Emre Can? Learning between running and passing. He can learn.
“James Milner? The complete football player. The perfect professional. A machine.
“Everything is there… We just have to create a situation where it’s possible to do these things. There’s pressure but not the biggest pressure, these guys are running for their life.”
And while the energy was certainly there for all to see the quality was still missing.
He said: “Of course we should play better football. Not because I say but because we can. When we have the ball the other team has to run. The most important thing is for the players to be prepared to be a little bit wild.
“We are only three days together and you can see that something changed.
We
didn’t want to do it too complicated because it is not physics it is football.”
Meanwhile Milner who is now playing for his seventeenth manager says he was impressed by Klopp’s presence on the touchline.
Milner said: “He is how he seems, it is not an act – he is a good guy who enjoys what he does and want us to enjoy it, he just asks for 100 per-cent.
“It has been tough for him, a whirlwind coming into English football and there is expectation and pressure on him and the team.
“He is trying to get his ideas over. It will take a few months. But he gets his message across on the touchline – like a 12th man. If he can inject energy into the boys over the last 10 minutes, when we are tired, then good.
“He has a great record, but we’re disappointed for Brendan Rodgers as I feel he is a top manager. I have worked with a lot of managers – I think this is my 17th clubmanager. Brendan was right up there with the best.
“I’ve had quiet managers, animated managers, foreign, British, young, old. Different styles. You learn from each one. I am blessed to work with top managers and here is another one.
“We have a few injuries, to say the least – you can’t even get into our treatment room. Maybe we tried to force it forwards a bit early but it is a pleasing start.
“Rome was not built in a day.”
