Liverpool news: Imagine what Jurgen Klopp would achieve if Liverpool could see out a Premier League game
Reds boss insists that his teams will never resort to cynically seeing out a match but SunSport's Ian Wright believes those comments were an attempt to mask the Reds' embarrassment
YOU may say I’m a dreamer — but I’m not the only one.
John Lennon clearly didn’t have Jurgen Klopp in mind when he wrote those famous lyrics but having heard what the Liverpool boss came out with at the weekend, he could well have done.
After seeing another lead blown, this time against Chelsea, and another late goal conceded, was asked why his side couldn’t kill off a game.
His answer was that the day any of his teams resort to cynically seeing it out will be the day he stops being a manager.
Having seen how often Liverpool have let it slip after being in front — Saturday was the fifth — I’m not sure how many fans would agree.
We’re not talking cheating here. We’re talking basic game management. The ability to run down the clock in a professional and organised manner.
To me, Klopp’s words were those of an idealist. Great in theory, but not practical at all — not if you want to win things. It smacked of him trying to mask his team’s mistakes and embarrassment through his principles.
And I don’t believe him for one minute.
'FANTASTIC TRAINING' Liverpool hand trials to two goalkeepers
Are you telling me if Liverpool were in front in the dying seconds of a game to win the title or the Champions League, he wouldn’t want them doing everything to see it through?
I’m sorry, I’m just not having that. Although, I wouldn’t believe it from any of the managers, apart from Pep Guardiola really.
LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS
He’s the only one who will clearly not compromise what he does and what he wants.
We’ve seen that with his work at Manchester City.
Even there, Pep may have a philosophy of how to win — but he won’t NOT win because of his philosophy.
Klopp has tried to cover up his side’s deficiencies with fine words but can anyone seriously take on board what he says here?
This is the man who said he could produce a book on defending in two hours — but they are still leaking plenty of stupid goals. Maybe he should sit down and start writing.
In my days under George Graham at Arsenal — and long before I got there — the mantra was that you start each game with a point, so if you don’t concede, you always get something.
Me and Alan Smith, or Paul Merson and Kevin Campbell, would close down defenders, give them no time on the ball.
It made it hard to get the ball to midfield and, if they went long, the defenders were in position to head it away.
💰How to claim your FREE £30 bet💰
1
2 Bet £10 or more
3 Sun Bets will stick a £30 bet in your account
Eventually, as the game goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult and frustrating for opponents to make any headway.
It’s just being professional, putting the ball in channels the opposition don’t want, just basic game management. An area where Liverpool have failed time and again.
Let’s be honest, if John Barnes had run the ball to the corner in 1989, Michael Thomas wouldn’t have scored that goal and Liverpool would have won the league.
If Michail Antonio had done it at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace wouldn’t have got a draw recently.
Liverpool have blown it through basic mistakes too many times — and no words from Klopp are going to change that.
It’s not been too clever across the city at Everton, either, but I still think that job is an attractive one.
Farhad Moshiri has an absolute bundle of money, they have too much talent to be in that position for too long — it just needs someone who knows what he’s doing to shake it up.
It should never have rumbled on for so long because the romantic notion of David Unsworth stepping up clearly wasn’t going to work.
The problem Everton have is they must do something right now — because if this goes on much longer, they’ll be hunting a manager to get them out of the Championship.