Jürgen Klopp said he now knew what the fuss was about with Daniel Sturridge after he watched the striker fire Liverpool to a thunderous 6-1 win at Southampton to set up a Capital One Cup semi-final against Stoke City.
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Reflecting on his team’s performance, Klopp said that he was delighted with the result but added that he had problems with the first minute and the following 10 minutes, the Daily Express reported.
Liverpool scored with each of their first six shots on target last night, from fourteen total efforts, whereas they only found the back of the net once from thirteen shots in Rodgers’ final game in charge.
“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.
His manager seemed impressed with his evening’s work too, saying: “I said to him after the game: ‘Now I know what everybody is talking about.’ I knew about his quality but not live in a stadium”.
Klopp promised “full throttle” football and he has been true to his word, with Liverpool’s aggressive high press central to their recent transformation.
Ibe put away Liverpool’s fifth goal five minutes later, controlling on the chest before powerfully striking into the bottom corner and Origi sealed his hat-trick with a routine header from Smith’s inch-perfect cross – Liverpool’s sixth goal from their seventh shot on target. I don’t say, “my contract is for three seasons, my job is to have a good team after three seasons”.
– Tim Foxford (@timfoxford23)It fills me with great confidence knowing that Liverpool have just thumped Southampton, and we’ve conceded 5 to palace. It is easy to say, “ask me at the end of my contract'”.
“What’s important is how Jurgen Klopp handles Daniel Sturridge; how many games he plays, how many minutes, but more important than anything is his recovery afterwards, immediately afterwards and then the next day”, he said.
“Maybe we have to play more defensively”. That is all we look at and that is what football is all about.
Southampton had been bidding to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1986-87, but dreams of a first major final since 2003 quickly faded as they sank to their heaviest home defeat since March 1959.
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“(Sturridge) can’t play every game for us. If he finds his form in the second half of the season, the England manager Roy Hodgson and his assistant Gary Neville, who rate him highly, would dearly love to have him for Euro 2016.
