However, despite the likely frustration of not having his top striker available every week, Klopp backed Sturridge and remains confident that he will continue to play an important role for the club moving forward.
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I don’t however expect Jurgen Klopp to alter his system much, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Daniel Sturridge starting. “I know him and when we have talks there is no issue”. I am on autopilot there. “He is a really good player with all you need when he is fit”. That’s how football works and it’s not a fixed position, stay outside and wait until you get the ball, especially not in Daniel’s case. It’s just a different way. Saturday was not the best game of football Daniel has ever played but, even in a game like this, he could have scored.
The striker has indicated he is not happy playing anywhere but as a centre forward for Liverpool.
In an ideal world, I’d say both.
“It was a great team performance and it’s good to get the victory”, he told Liverpoolfc.com. In football, I can not give “this” player 10 games [as] then the other player has no rhythm. You have to change positions. The England global gave the impression that he never feels comfortable in that sort of position, whereas he said that as a No9 everything comes so naturally to him that it feels as though he is “on autopilot”.
“Everyone knows where I enjoy playing the most”.
The former Manchester City and Chelsea man scored twice as a substitute taking his Liverpool tally to 55 goals in 94 appearances.
Klopp said: “I saw the situation”.
“We could give a few players match time, which was very important, because they had a pre-season, but not that long”. These positions should have been filled up by full-backs or players from other positions. There’s absolutely no problem with that.
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Klopp said Can’s pain is “okay” but it is not yet clear how serious the injury that spoiled his first start of the season will be. When he’s not involved anymore in defending, you need a smart striker that takes the centre-back out of the protection position for the opposition into a place where he doesn’t feel comfortable.
