Jürgen Klopp denies being too loyal at Liverpool

Jürgen Klopp has denied he is “too loyal” to players and said he will only leave Liverpool if he is forced out. The Reds have had a stunningly disappointing season so far, compounded by recent limp Premier League defeats at Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Klopp explains Liverpool ‘loyalty’ situation

Liverpool have a number of key players who have been at the club for most of Klopp’s seven years on Merseyside, amid suggestions there has been insufficient replenishment of a team who have been one of the most successful in Europe in recent seasons.

“I heard I’m too loyal, but I am not too loyal. The problem is too complex. If you can then go out and bring in another player to replace him, then it makes sense,” manager Klopp said at a press conference. “But if you cannot bring anyone in, you cannot take anyone out.

“I am not too loyal. At [Borussia] Dortmund, it was clear when I left [in 2015], I said ‘something has to change here’. It is a different situation. Either the manager’s position changes or a lot of other things change. So, as far as I am concerned unless someone tells me, I will not go.

“I will be here for as long as I am wanted. If no one tells me to go, I will not go. So that means maybe there is a point where we have to change other stuff. We will see that, but that is something for the future. Like summer or whatever. Not now.

“I have space and time to think about it, we have to play better football now.”

Reds hoping to tame Wolves

Liverpool face Wolves in an FA Cup third-round replay at Molineux on Tuesday, another huge game for Klopp’s team who won the competition last season. Although Klopp suggested it is unlikely Liverpool will make another move in the January transfer window – having already signed Dutch forward Cody Gakpo from PSV – he did acknowledge that it is not for the lack of desire to do so.

There has been a clamour from the club’s fans to add another midfielder, with Thiago Alcantara the only recognised midfielder signed permanently since 2018.

“We look outside as well,” Klopp said. “It’s not that we are stubborn and think that’s it, we’ll go with these boys until 2050 or whatever. That’s not how we see it, it’s all about what we can do and these kind of things – and what you want to do. More important is what you can do. It’s always the same, each year.

“I cannot change my answers – if the solutions are out there for us, available and doable, of course we would bring in players to help. But we have an existing squad as well and we are underperforming, definitely, I know that. But I cannot sit here and blame everyone else, the players, all the time. It is my responsibility.

“We have limited options, but we have players with contracts here, they are not available. But if we bring in players, we cannot bring them all in the Premier League and Champions League list.”

Despite the constant calls, from both fans and pundits for reinforcements, it all feels far too simplistic. On a grander scale, with the objectives of being domestic and continental champions, strength in depth makes sense. But the players already there should be good enough to beat the likes of Brentford, Leeds and Brighton. Other problems exist.