Despite his side hammering Southampton 6-1 on the south coast last night to book a place in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, Klopp believes the emphatic victory will count for nothing on Tyneside.
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Sturridge, making his first start since the beginning of October, scored with two clinical finishes to turn the quarter-final tie Liverpool’s way after Southampton had found the net within a minute.
Divock Origi netted a hat-trick and Jordon Ibe got the other as the Reds came from behind to win 6-1.
There is often nothing more unsafe than a striker with a point to prove as Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi showed in Liverpool’s League Cup mauling of Southampton yesterday. “We try to do what we can to keep him fit”, he said. “I knew about his quality, but not live in a stadium, in an important tournament”. How should I know?
“Of course, we would like to keep the best players because that means we can grow and grow. Write that, ‘chairman says Daniel Sturridge can be much better than he was a few years ago'”.
“No (Sturridge did not need convincing to start)”.
Origi wasn’t the only player to impress at St. Mary’s with England global Daniel Sturridge getting a brace and coming through an hour without any sign of injury. He had not the flawless pre-season.
He said: “You think I should be anxious?”
“We do not have magic ideas”, said Klopp, whose team were drawn against Stoke City in the last four, leaving open the possibility of a meeting with either Manchester City or local rivals Everton in the final.
Boyhood Evertonian, and former City defender, Michael Ball said on Twitter it may be a tough ask for the blue half of Merseyside to make it to Wembley.
Their semi-final opponents Stoke moved into the last four with a routine 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday, courtesy of strikes from Ibrahim Afellay and Phil Bardsley.
The defeat is Southampton’s third in as many games, and they face Aston Villa next at St Mary’s in the Premier League.
“(It was) great play of Liverpool”, he said. “So he frees them up to actually go and play with a confidence”. Very complete, defensively strong, good movement, and they killed the game with high quality, but (it was) too easy in my opinion.
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Graziano Pelle slid Mane in behind the Liverpool defence to present Southampton their first opportunity of the second half, but Dejan Lovren recovered well to block, before substitute Shane Long nodded wide from Tadic’s chipped cross shortly after.
