Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has denied speculation he is seeking a replacement for Belgium worldwide keeper Simon Mignolet.
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Yet Klopp throw the weight of his support behind Mignolet and said: “It is a good moment to talk about the goalkeepers at Liverpool”.
“I am absolutely satisfied with our goalkeeper situation”, Klopp said at a news conference. I’m sorry to kill your stories about German goalkeepers and different goalkeepers from Stoke or wherever.
“Mignolet is now smarter than he’s ever been”, he added. Ex-players and pundits alike have been highly critical of the Belgian in the past and have regularly predicated that he’d be replaced in the near future – a theory that Klopp doesn’t seem to be buying into. He’s still young enough to develop.
“Since I am here there is nothing to criticise, absolutely nothing”, the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach continued. “He’s a good football player”, enthused the Reds boss. Everyone is looking for a second Manuel Neuer, but Simon is in a good way. “The goalkeeper situation until now is a comfortable one and I hope it stays like this, of course”. How much have they played in the last few games? “It’s an important sign for my players, I told them, if you behave like him for I don’t know – 50 years! – like him, if you always do like him then it is easy to come back”.
Klopp, however, has confirmed that Liverpool No 2 Adam Bogdan would be handed another opportunity to impress in the cup tie at St Mary’s, while Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson could also feature from the bench.
Bordeaux midfielder Henri Saivet compounded Mignolet’s embarrassment by sweeping the set-piece home to hand Willy Sagnol’s side a 1-0 lead at Anfield.
“Daniel should be our target to win balls; he should be our first target and that’s what he did”. We have enough high-quality goalkeepers.
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He said: “We can’t ignore that there could be extra-time”.
