Liverpool midfielder Lucas reports on first Klopp training session

Liverpool fans will get a first look at their new manager Jurgen Klopp in a tough away fixture.

But Southgate believes the duo are in good hands with Klopp, who nurtured Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund, and that a new manager at Anfield is good for their motivation ahead of England’s game at the Ricoh Arena.

The 48-year-old spent part of the weekend at the club’s academy watching the Under-18 team’s victory over Stoke City and arrived at the first-team’s Melwood training ground yesterday morning to take his first session with the players available to him.

The German coach took over at Anfield last Friday and will oversee his first game in charge when the Reds travel to Tottenham on Saturday. His press conference and interviews were wonderful.

Having spent the global break with the England squad, which includes Liverpool duo Nathaniel Clyne and Danny Ings, Kane says it was obvious that Liverpool players were eager to impress Klopp.

“I think we’ve out-run every team we have played this season”, he said.

“It’s still early days; we have to listen a lot and try to pick up all of the information that he gives us as soon as possible”.

“He seems to be a very open manager and someone that likes to be close to the players, but very straight as well”.

As an eternal optimist, I think I’m more interested in which players will be looking forward to the future; if Klopp implements the 4-2-3-1 system he mostly used at Dortmund, will this rejuvenate the much-maligned Dejan Lovren, for instance?

“Klopp will lead the team attacking, but lead the team attacking in the right way”, said the 40-year-old.

With the first six of those plus Coutinho all realistically in with a good chance of starting at White Hart Lane, Klopp at least had a decent base on which to begin his planning for the game. Be very intense. Be aggressive with yourself.

There is a lot of work left to to do and even hope is handled quite gingerly, in full knowledge that things can easily fall apart for the 18-time champions.

In recent days, most talk around the bar has been about which Borussia Dortmund players could end up following Klopp to the Kop but with the new Reds boss distancing himself from poaching the cream of the crop from Signal Iduna Park, perhaps he wants to be respectful to his former employers.

Am encouraging performance, signs of tactical fluidity and a loud travelling support will see us happy with a draw in many ways.