No fringe benefits in cup for Klopp
Klopp took Liverpool to the final last season, losing to Manchester City on penalties, after succeeding Brendan Rodgers two months into the campaign and his team are on the Wembley trail again after negotiating a potentially tricky opening tie at the Pirelli Stadium.
Sunderland are reported to have turned down a loan deal for Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho.
Sturridge returned to the side for the match against Burnley on Saturday, but was largely ineffective as the Reds slumped to a surprise 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor. “We want to win for the fans too”. “We put ourselves under pressure”.
‘It is not about not being in Europe and so one cup is important. “This is important. How can we be more than 100 per cent ambitious?”
After Lee Naylor sent the ball past Bywater to make it 3-0 just after the hour mark, Klopp brought on Georginio Wijnaldum and Daniel Sturridge, with the latter producing a determined display. “If you are not really interested in us, then that’s the way you can see the game”, added Klopp, before saying, “Then we played at Burnley, we had 81 percent possession and didn’t score a goal, so now you can say we need another striker if you want”. You can not wish that it is Christmas and say, “OK, this year will really be a time to go to all finals because we don’t have many games”. I have lost a few games in my life, and I accept that I will lose a few more in the future.
“We have 36 games left that is a big number”.
Klopp will resist the temptation to make too many changes but we still expect the German coach to mix things up with defender Joel Matip set to come in and make his full debut following his summer move.
“I really wait for the day when finally the transfer window closes, because I can’t believe how obsessed you all are with this”, Klopp told reporters at Melwood on Monday.
Klopp suggested there would not be huge changes to the starting line up for the cup clash when he suggested it would be unlikely he would make “7 or 8 changes”.
However, when asked if the loss will see him look to the transfer market, the manager reacted: “If one game should change my mind then I would be a real idiot. He needs to use the right skill in the right moment”. “Danny is a wonderful player and a wonderful guy, but we can not change everything every two days”.