Jurgen Klopp predicted brighter days ahead for his Liverpool youngsters after they fell to an Angelo Ogbonna buzzer beater against West Ham United in their FA Cup fourth-round replay on Tuesday.
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The Belgium worldwide has struggled to cement a spot in Klopp’s first team and has not scored in 11 games.
“I can do a lot of things but as it is with any player, the last thing must be from the player”. It is not the easiest period of his career but the number of opportunities is a good sign, if he had no opportunities it would be a much bigger problem. What we are doing is in the public eye, so you can not hide yourself.
It leaves the Europa League as Liverpool’s only realistic hope of silverware this season – they are now 12 points below the Champions League places in the Premier League – but Klopp says it is all part of the learning curve for his players. “There are worse situations in the world – even in the world of football – so we have to carry on and he has to carry on”.
“Yes. It was a flawless moment for us to let them off the leash and let us show how strong our faith is in them and for them to show how good they are”.
Sturridge has made just four starts this season due to a litany of niggling injuries and Klopp said he would carefully manage the pace of the England striker’s reintegration. It is not an issue for me to make a decision, it is professional football and it is only one game a year going to your former club. “I don’t know if they welcome him with open arms or whistles, but it’s not too important – it’s up to the situation you are in as a person”. I didn’t know Tiago Ilori was a Liverpool player, to be honest, but then I saw he was on loan and we got him here and you see the potential.
However, Redknapp – who played for the club between 1991 and 2002 – believes Klopp’s focus should be on trying to win the League Cup.
“Strikers who do not score goals for a longer period it is more interesting than if someone else does not score enough”. It’s all about work and circumstances and we will see what the line-up is. “It’s not possible he’s 100 per cent but he’s in a really good way and that’s good news for sure”.
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Unfortunately, the German coach confirmed that midfielder Joe Allen has suffered a muscle injury and is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
