He is the only warrior in their team, whenever He is with the ball my defenders are always afraid of Him,He is the only Man united player that is giving me sleepless night now’: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp names ONE Man united player that is giving Him sleepless night at the moment ahead of their clash this weekend – Not Rashford
A disjointed performance from a disjointed Liverpool side, Jurgen Klopp’s young Reds were always on a hiding to nothing when travelling to Belgium on Thursday.
Already guaranteed top spot in their Europa League group and a place in next March’s round-of-16, they had nothing to gain against Union SG at Lotto Park. Consequently, with one eye on Sunday’s home clash with bitter-rivals Manchester United, Klopp left Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alisson Becker at home, made nine changes to his team and started eight academy graduates.
With an average age of 22 years and 156 days, this was Liverpool’s youngest ever starting XI named for a European match. Yet for some, that wasn’t enough. Supporters were perplexed at the sight of Ibrahima Konate in the starting XI especially, and were equally bemused when Darwin Nunez was brought on shortly after the hour-mark.
With visits from Arsenal and Newcastle United also lying in wait in the Premier League over the festive period, along with a Boxing Day trip to Burnley and League Cup quarter-final clash with West Ham United, you can understand Kopite anxiety. The Reds already have a lengthy injury-list, after all, while onlookers still remember losing Diogo Jota for three months to a knee injury when the Portuguese played in a Champions League dead-rubber against FC Midtjylland in December 2020.
Fortunately, Liverpool appeared to come through this Europa League tie unscathed. Yet when it came to selecting an XI to face Union SG, Klopp was damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
A youthful side always needs a sprinkle of senior experience to help carry junior team-mates through. Otherwise, you undermine the benefits of handing them first team football in the first place. Recognised stars would always be required.
Anxiety over Konate in particular was understandable, given the recent loss of Joel Matip to a season-ending ACL injury and the Frenchman’s own chequered injury past. Yet substitute his name out for Joe Gomez, who replaced him at half-time in a pre-planned change, and the argument remains exactly the same.
This is a tactic Klopp has often made full use of in less-important European matches, supported by the possibility of five substitutions, as he splits 45-minute appearances between his senior stars. It was no surprise to see him do so again against Union SG.
Konate wasn’t the only player replaced at half-time in Belgium, with Wataru Endo also brought off and replaced by Ryan Gravenberch. The same happened to the Japan international on Saturday following a poor performance against Crystal Palace.
Yet this withdrawal was for rather different reasons, with one eye on Sunday’s clash with Manchester United and the fixtures ahead. Klopp has already confirmed that his side will be without Alexis Mac Allister against the Red Devils, don’t forget.
A 2-1 defeat to Union SG barely registers for Liverpool. The most important thing on Thursday night was coming through injury-free, with attention now instantly turning to the weekend.
Was it a gamble to start senior players in a nothing game for the Reds, with so many bigger matches lying in wait? Perhaps. But, unlike when losing Jota three years ago, this time the decision did not backfire.
And having both come off at half-time in Belgium, it would be a surprise if both Konate and Endo weren’t now selected to start against Erik ten Hag’s under-pressure side on Sunday.
Gakpo fails to grab chance
The last time Manchester United travelled to Anfield, it had just been confirmed that Roberto Firmino would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the end of his contract. Yet in January signing Cody Gakpo, the Reds had seemingly already snapped up their long-term replacement for the long-serving Brazilian.
The Netherlands international scored twice that day in an historic 7-0 win, and would finish his first half-season on Merseyside with seven goals and two assists from 26 appearances. But as the 24-year-old nears his one-year anniversary at Liverpool, his place in the pecking order now looks very different.
Both Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota appear to be ahead of the Dutchman in the pecking order as the Reds’ central striker, with both players outscoring his total of six goals so far this season. Consequently, Gakpo has been limited to seven Premier League starts and found himself in the Europa League starting XI in recent weeks.
One of the most senior stars selected against Union SG, he was granted an opportunity to change that narrative. Yet completing the full 90 minutes, he put in an almost anonymous display.
For much of the match, Liverpool were limited to one shot on target – their goal through Jarell Quansah. Gakpo wouldn’t threaten the Union goal into the last minute of stoppage-time when his only effort of the game was blocked.
No shots on target, no key passes, no successful dribbles completed, no aerial battles won and dispossessed twice – it was not a night to remember for the forward. Granted, a much-changed side and new-look attack would not have helped his cause.
Of course, he wasn’t the only senior star to struggle. Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones might have changed Sunday’s win over Palace in Liverpool’s favour, but they were unable to build on such cameos in Belgium. Only Mac Allister’s injury and another ineffectual showing from Gravenberch leaves a midfield place up for grabs against United.
But for Gakpo, this performance will have done nothing to stake his claim for a start on Sunday.
Quansah quids in
Jarell Quansah was one of only two players to keep his place against Union SG. The 20-year-old is also one of the reasons why, publicly at least, Klopp has been so dismissive of the possibility that he needs to sign a replacement for Matip in January.
But at least the England Under-21s international continues to let no-one down when he pulls on a Liverpool shirt. In an understandably difficult team showing for the Reds, he was the best of the bunch.
While a night to forget for Klopp’s side, it was still a night to remember for Quansah – even in defeat. He was the Liverpool scorer, briefly equalising for the Reds before the half-time with a venomous strike after bringing down a corner. It was a shot many a veteran striker would have been proud of, never mind a fledgling centre-back.
Having cruelly been denied away at Toulouse by VAR, the 20-year-old is now off the mark. And his strike was a landmark one for his manager too, being the 2,000th goal scored by Klopp’s sides across his managerial career.
Yet the centre-back is not judged for his offensive abilities, with his all-round game really being what continues to impress. He would play more passes than any other player on the pitch, completing 95 out of 100 attempted, picking out his team-mates both with short passes forward or diagonal balls spreading the play.
He would win three defensive aerial battles too, again more than any other player, and won all four of his tackles attempted. Three clearances and one interception would add to his impressive defensive showing on a busy night.
If Klopp really isn’t intending to sign a new centre-back in January, Quansah’s emergence this season at least softens the blow.
