The dark clouds seem to be gathering over Jurgen Klopp even before he has set foot on a competitive football game as two injuries have rocked Liverpool’s squad after the international break. First it was Joe Gomez who injured his ACL when playing for the England U21 team and then in the first day of training with Klopp, Danny Ings picked up a similar injury and both players are expected to be out of the team till the end of the season.
That does seem to have put a spanner in the works for the German manager as he has to take on Tottenham in a few days’ time. The London side will be the first team that the new Liverpool boss faces and they would be looking to beat the Reds and ensure it isn’t a happy start for Klopp in England.
Liverpool would also be without the big money signings of Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke as they are still recovering from injuries, so the big question is, how does he ensure a win for his new team against a formidable team?
A big test for the new guy
With four players injured from the first team squad, it does make life a little easier for Klopp in naming his team out. Fortunately for the German, none of the midfielders were injured in the international break and that is the first part of the pitch that can make the difference for Liverpool.
A midfield trio of Emre Can, James Milner and Lucas Leiva could be the way to go for the German. Lucas and Can could be the two holding midfielders while James Milner is the engine in the team as he runs and scurries about linking up with the attack from midfield. Klopp loves to have hardworking players in his team and this midfield would certainly provide him with a lot.
Klopp’s teams were also known for their blistering attack and they do have some of the fastest players in the league. Daniel Sturridge and Jordon Ibe are extremely fast and agile and could do the job in front for the Reds. They would obviously look at the creative inputs of Philippe Coutinho to make a difference, but he hasn’t been at his best this season, could Klopp be the one to unlock Coutinho’s potential this season?
The defence is the biggest concern for the Liverpool team would be about the defence. The team would have to deal with the likes of Eriksen and Kane, two of the hardest working players in the league. Liverpool may not start with Dejan Lovren anytime soon, but the team do have to work extremely hard to get that defensive stability back, which they never really had under former Manager Brendan Rodgers.
Klopp’s final season at Dortmund wasn’t the greatest as well, it was littered with mistakes, especially in defence and a lot of bad luck in front of goal. Liverpool fans will remember the dominating Dortmund side that Klopp built, but even that took a couple of years under him. For now, the supporters are firmly behind Klopp and more than a victory, they want to see a good performance by the team that has struggled to hit the high notes for quite a few years.