Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has opened the door to making yet more signings before the end of the transfer window to cover potential injuries in his squad. “We know that, but we don’t need to worry about our motivation or how ambitious we are”. “We have a few more players than you can bring in a line-up, that’s true, but we already have a few injuries in positions that are not too good for us”, Klopp admitted.
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Nevertheless, Klopp is adamant whoever he picks will be ready for Liverpool’s first game of the Premier League campaign.
“I think on Klopp, he’s got a head start because he’s been in there for seven months as well so he’s been able to put a stamp, his philosophy on the club”, Dickov said.
“We are not at 100 per cent fitness wise, so it is normal too, we had to run a lot, much more than Barca, but we did it and we did it well”.
However, when asked if Sturridge would be fit to feature at the Emirates Stadium on Super Sunday, Klopp replied: “No idea”. This is only the first game.
Still, there were unmistakable hints that, with a pre-season behind them, this is now a Klopp team. The young Marko Grujic finished things off.
“It was not only the high pressing [that pleased me]”, he said, “but after winning balls it was the direction of some of our passes and Kevin Stewart’s for Divock [Origi’s goal]”. “It’s about organisation, it’s about the formation”. Mane played on the right wing and his pace is key to the way Liverpool want to play. “But we always expect of ourselves that we have to do better and we should have done better”.
Luis Suarez was facing his old club for the first time but the Uruguayan was kept quiet apart from one volley which was saved by Simon Mignolet, while Lionel Messi clipped a post in the first half.
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With seven friendly matches behind them to Barcelona’s two, Liverpool were the sharper team and they took the lead with a slick goal. “Before the game, we didn’t think we were on the level of Barcelona and after the game, we don’t think we are higher than them”.
