Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says there is no need for an overhaul of the squad he has inherited, saying “decisions that were made in the past were not as bad as maybe some people think.”
The German, speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League tie against Rubin Kazan told how “It is a completely different situation” to when he took up the job at Borussia Dortmund.
“They are all Liverpool players here,” he said, referring to the quality of player.
“Decisions that were made in the past were not as bad as maybe some people think. It is not a coincidence they are here.
“When I saw the squad – when on my holiday – I thought ‘good job, I can work with this’.
“Yes, we have some injuries but players will come back. It’s a good squad. It’s even good for those players who can’t play in this moment to see how we work.”
It’s not the first time Klopp has praised the squad he has inherited and it will be music to the ears of the club’s owners, who supplied former manager Brendan Rodgers with £300 million to improve the playing squad but still spent the final weeks of his Anfield career complaining about needing to rebuild the squad.
Klopp is proving to be a complete antithesis to Rodgers, delivery positivity with every briefing and refusing to look at the bad luck he has been handed with injuries in his opening weeks in charge.
The new manager is also keen to take a look at players for himself, with loan duo Ryan Kent and Ryan McLaughlin set to join the Reds’ squad back at Melwood this weekend so Klopp take a look at them and make decisions for himself.
“Of course it is like this in a positive way where everyone says it’s a new chance and all the players feel more important than before,” he said.
“That’s normal after they’ve been judged for a few years. Everyone has judged them.
“I asked many people at LFC and they told me about him, him and him. I said ‘stop it, I don’t want to hear any more’’
“I said I didn’t want to hear about my players any more. I wanted to watch and start learning about them.
“They are all nice guys with big skills with big passion – all that we need and now we can work together.”
Fan Comments