Klopp may try out an Origi-Daniel Sturridge partnership for this Thursday’s Europa League return at Anfield, and ahead of the game, the secret to the player’s physical transformation has been revealed. Kevin Stewart and Sheyi Ojo made their first Premier League starts while Roberto Firmino and Sturridge were given the chance to impress in attack.
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Klopp was, unsurprisingly, thrilled with his side’s display, as Divock Origi scored a second-half brace to add to goals from Moreno and Daniel Sturridge.
He admitted in the aftermath that he was pleasantly surprised with what he’d seen, saying: “For a team that has never played together, it was brilliant”. The whole game was good against a really hard side.
“When we played the semi-final at Stoke, the first half they played football”.
The 20-year-old Belgian then proved he can do it against Stoke on a breezy Sunday afternoon.
“He looks the part now, whereas you would say six months ago, when he was getting knocked off the ball, he was falling over, a little bit weak, a little bit frail, confidence probably shot to pieces because he didn’t have a great loan spell in France, [that he didn’t]”.
It is still unknown as to why Jurgen Klopp chose to withdraw the youngster at half time but Liverpool fans and indeed Jurgen Klopp would be excited at the prospect of the young player developing over time.
The England striker scored, he linked the play and – perhaps most thrillingly for the Liverpool coach – his work-rate was exceptional as he assumed senior status in a vastly changed line-up. “Now the most important thing for him is to stay fit”. BVB couldn’t cope with his pace, he netted a vital away goal and should have had a second when running clean through.
The inevitable fourth goal arrived when Origi cut in from the left to swerve past Haugaard and Mark Hughes, the Stoke manager, admitted his team were in “damage limitation” mode from then on. And when they did come into our box, we lacked the ability to clear them or defend them correctly.
“I am always linked with jobs and in the summer I will have a job, but in this moment I can promise you I do not have a contract with any club”. Nathaniel Clyne handed the visitors a great chance by handling the ball, but Ryan Shawcross just missed the target after another fine delivery from Shaqiri.
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From being robust in midfield to providing accurate long balls to his strikers, Milner was a complete nuisance throughout the game as far as Stoke backline is concerned. Divock Origi (right), preferred to Sturridge in midweek, also came off the bench to score twice.
