Soccer

No time for title talk as Liverpool prepare for heavyweight clash

Ozan Kabak has received international clearance in a boost to depleted champions

Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit team have relied on Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to fill holes in defence along with youngsters. Photograph: EPA

Andy Hunter
Fri Feb 5 2021 - 22:40

Jurgen Klopp had no time for title talk when previewing Manchester City’s visit to Anfield and not simply because of the seven-point gap that exists between Liverpool and the leaders.

Encounters between the last two Premier League champions are “always special”, the Liverpool manager admitted, but he has too many internal problems to resolve before Sunday can be considered a season-defining moment.

Take, for example, Ozan Kabak’s and Ben Davies’ preparations for what would be an intense Liverpool baptism following their deadline day arrivals from Schalke and Preston respectively. “In an ideal world we’d have a few weeks to work on defensive things with them, especially on organisation,” said Klopp.

“Ben and Ozan yesterday had an analysis meeting where they got shown all the stuff that we usually do. It was like a centre-half movie.”

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In that ideal world Klopp would not contemplate giving two central defenders their debuts in the same game, especially not one against City’s incisive quality and laden with consequences for Liverpool’s defence of the title. “Not if I don’t have to, no,” the manager admitted, though he at least has the option with Kabak receiving international clearance to feature on Sunday.

Regardless of Fabinho’s fitness, and the Brazilian returned to training on Friday having missed three matches with a muscle injury, there will be temptation to deploy a 13th different central defensive partnership in the Premier League this season given the flaws behind Wednesday’s home defeat by Brighton.

Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were badly missed in midfield as Liverpool again toiled against an opponent willing to defend in numbers and failed to score at Anfield for a third league game in succession. As well as the pair have operated as makeshift defenders, they are desperately required elsewhere.

Liverpool’s deadline day business had the duel effect of filling a defensive hole and giving back to Klopp his first choice options in midfield.

“Yes, everything would help,” he replied when asked about Henderson returning to midfield against City. “A lot of things happened in the last few weeks and we try to solve it. Sometimes we solved it and sometimes not. But now we have different options and that’s good, the best news we could get. Now we have to make sure the new boys get as quickly as possible all the information they need.

“In another position you can say; ‘Come on, play, try, we will see if we adapt a little bit to you’. But in defence the things we do are clear. It’s about holding the lines, it’s about dropping at the right moments and we will see how quickly we can do that. Today is an important session for that, tomorrow as well.”

After 68 home games unbeaten Liverpool’s authority at Anfield has been eroded by consecutive losses to Burnley and Brighton. But Klopp has called on his champions to show bravery in rebuilding their fortress, irrespective of the approach Pep Guardiola takes in his search for a first win at Anfield as City manager.

“We had a home game here when I don’t think (Kyle) Walker passed the half way line,” the Liverpool manager recalled. “That was surprising, but I think they could have won it in the last seconds with a Mahrez penalty. They are always special games, but in the end it is still three points. Obviously City is in a slightly different moment than we are. We should not forget that. But one thing is clear: if you don’t defend against City at your highest level then you don’t even think about getting anything out of the game.

“But there are other moments when you have to be brave, when you have to control, not the game but the situation in possession, and that is what we will try as well.”

As mentioned, Klopp’s reticence to discuss the title implications of Sunday was not based solely on the gap between the teams that have dominated English football in recent seasons. City would be four points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand should their 13-game winning run end at Anfield but, for Klopp, the priority is rediscovering the remarkable consistency that ran Guardiola’s team so close in 2018-19 before obliterating all opposition - albeit with far fewer injury problems - last time out.

“When we were close enough it might have made some sense. I just don’t see it at the moment,” he said of the title. “You have to win games. If you do that often enough then at a specific moment in the season it is clear you can say: ‘OK, now we go for it’. In the last few years we have been in that situation but in the moment we are not, so why should we think about it? What we have to think about is collecting enough points that it might happen in April or May again.

“We really try hard in a very tricky season and we will continue trying 100 per cent and Sunday is the next time.”

Another complication on Liverpool’s horizon is their Champions League last 16 first leg tie at RB Leipzig on 16 February, with the German government banning all arrivals from the UK until February 17th.

Budapest has been proposed as a possible alternative venue but Klopp believes the game should be played as planned in Leipzig. He explained: “With all the stuff we do I think it would have been absolutely reasonable to make an exception. We know there is another strain but we are really in a bubble and we could play at Leipzig without spreading the virus. But the rules are the rules and we will accept them.” – Guardian