Defensive frailties may not have been addressed at length at Anfield, but Jurgen Klopp would still be willing to let Mamadou Sakho go on loan if reports are to be believed. After falling out with the German manager in the pre-season tour of the United States, there has been no turn in fortunes for the French defender.
Having missed out on the Euros held on his home turf and then facing the disappointment of a heel injury as well as other minor niggles, Sakho has endured a miserable time since the month of April when he was banned by UEFA for failing a drugs test. Later, although the case was dropped against him in July, the French defender’s demeanour has been affected.
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Klopp believes that the French defender’s current predicament is temporary having publicly lauded him time and again last season for his aggression and commitment towards the Liverpool cause. The German believes that the defender’s time away from Anfield can only help him regain his competitive edge.
A disappointing weekend for Klopp, in which Liverpool seems to be caught in the eternal loop of “one step forward, two steps back”, was illustrated by their deteriorating defensive display against Burnley. With no European competition on offer at Anfield this season, Klopp has warned his players that there will be no escape from the Cup competitions, as he intends to field a full strength squad.
Instead, this can be an opportunity for Liverpool to successfully compete in all domestic competitions without resting their stronger players. Speaking at the press conference ahead of the EFL Cup game against Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion side, Klopp addressed the various queries over Ings and other players such as Divock Origi and Joel Matip, both of them who are expected to start against the Championship side.
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Quizzed on the loss over the weekend, transfer expenditure and selection of playing personnel, the German stated that he wasn’t too keen on rotation and was unusually terse about more signings. The German did show his admiration for the Championship club and insisted that a cup competition is a chance to add silverware. Analysing the weekend game, Klopp rued Liverpool’s finishing, while commending and lauding Burnley’s defensive organisation, Klopp felt that the side could do better and felt that a dose of desire in the last third will help the forwards in their finishing.
Nigel Clough, the Burton Albion manager and a former Liverpool player felt that it is an opportunity for the team to cause an upset and described looking forward to the week. In his second stint as a manager with Burton, Clough will hope to pull off an upset against his former club.
