Your Liverpool morning digest as Jurgen Klopp has a big transfer decision to make, plus the deal to sign Cody Gakpo has been questioned
Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Sunday, January 1.
Jurgen Klopp has major transfer decision to make
If the points tally for Liverpool’s return to Premier League action paints a flawless picture, a little has been lacking from the aesthetics, writes Paul Gorst.
Victories over Aston Villa and Leicester in recent days have whittled what was a seven-point deficit to the top four down to just two and conventional wisdom suggests now is not the time to grumble about the performances that are churning out the results.
Gathering momentum during the post-Christmas period is vital for the Reds, so back-to-back wins in hard-fought contests will have been an ideal scenario for when Jurgen Klopp surveyed the landscape earlier this month.
Yet, as the manager admitted himself in his post-match media dealings after Friday’s 2-1 win at Anfield, the performance was not quite there. “The result is very pleasing obviously, but we all saw the game and it wasn’t our best performance and we know that,” Klopp said after the match.
It was hard to disagree after Liverpool eked out the points against Brendan Rodgers’s side largely due to two of the most comical own goals you’ll see this campaign from the beleaguered Wout Faes. Control was worryingly ceded far too often as Leicester’s midfield looked generally more assured and powerful.
Make no mistake, Liverpool will need to improve on Friday’s output if they are serious about nudging ahead of Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea to that fourth spot in the Premier League. At this stage, that remains the bare minimum for Klopp and his squad to achieve.
A year out of European football’s most grandiose competition will have lasting financial ramifications at Anfield, particularly at a time when the owners, Fenway Sports Group, are trying to make the Reds look as attractive a proposition as possible to potential investors or outright buyers.
But, on the flip side, winning when not at your thrilling best is often the mark of a top side at the sharp end of the Premier League. Does a heavyweight ‘get away with one’ when below their optimal level? Or is it indicative of their excellence that they can still emerge with the points when underperforming? The answer to that, like a lot of things around the discussion of football, is all about perception. Only results are inarguable, the rest is debated ad infinitum.
Cody Gakpo transfer question by pundit
Paul Merson believes Liverpool have overloaded the forward positions with the signing of Cody Gakpo instead of focussing on glaring midfield issues – despite the January window not officially opening yet.
Wednesday saw confirmation from the club that they had signed Gakpo on a five-and-a-half-year deal, with developments moving swiftly since news broke on Boxing Day that talks had been ramped up. While the official fee has not been disclosed, the ECHO understands that Liverpool will pay an initial £37million, which could rise to above £40million.
The 23-year-old’s arrival is proof of Jurgen Klopp’s desire to add attacking depth, with both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz sidelined for the foreseeable future, while Roberto Firmino is also managing a calf injury. Monday’s 3-1 win against Aston Villa saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain make his first Premier League start of the season.
And while a £40million outlay will have to be taken into account, it by no means blocks Liverpool from adding further once the window opens – particularly in midfield, where Klopp has been left vulnerable. But former Arsenal midfielder Merson has somewhat bizarrely linked the two by claiming they should have signed a midfielder instead of Gakpo, who will be ‘fifth choice’ forward when all are fit.
Source: liverpoolecho.com
