Jurgen Klopp isn’t afraid to speak his mind – which has landed him in hot waters with the media and public on more than one occasion. Recently, he’s landed himself in the headlines over his comment during a press conference that spoke about the African Cup of Nations, calling it a “little tournament”. As usual, a whole host of people took it the wrong way, and Jurgen finds himself forced once again to defend himself.
When not defending his comments, he’s debating and deciding what the next and best moves are for Liverpool Football Club – a club that’s putting in phenomenal performances this season. Let’s explore some of his most recent dilemmas and what he’s planning on doing about them.
Transfer Dilemmas
It’s coming towards that time of year when everyone talks about transfer rumours. January is a strange time of year for signings, but Liverpool have used it differently in recent yearss: to sign a #1 summer target Virgil Van Dijk, and to bring in Takumi Minamino to bolster their attacking ranks. However, talk is about outgoings. One of the dilemmas that Klopp is rumoured to be facing at the minute is one involving Thiago Alcantara. Alcantara joined the reds at the beginning of the 2020 season from Bayern Munich – and has struggled to find his feet, especially throughout the 2020 season.
Lately, rumours have been flying that he could be headed towards the Camp Nuo of Barcelona. He has commented and said he’s ignoring all transfer rumours and focusing solely on the events taking place at Anfield – and with Liverpool tickets selling like never before, there’s a lot of eyes watching his performance.Â
Another transfer rumour is that of Raheem Sterling and his move to the Reds. Lately, the Manchester City forward is rumoured to be in contact with Liverpool regarding a dramatic return. Could he make his return and Thiago Alcantara leave? That’s a Jurgen Klopp dilemma.
Injury Dilemmas
Despite the injury dilemmas Liverpool is facing, they’re off the back of stellar performances against Arsenal and FC Porto – a match where Thiago Alcantara put in a cracking performance. However, Liverpool’s injury streak continues as two of their most experienced players Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita, failed to make it to training on Thursday. They’re both still injured, and it’s rumoured they won’t make the games coming up in the next few weeks.
Liverpool has always found themselves plagued with injury dramas – and actually have the worst track record for injury rates out of every Premier League club. Unfortunately for Klopp, Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez didn’t attend the training session either.
It’s pretty early on in the season when you consider the end date, yet Liverpool has had their fair share of injuries already – perhaps showing us a glimpse of what is to come during the rest of the reason.
Future Performance Dilemmas
Jurgen Klopp — thanks to Liverpool’s appalling player injury track record — is no doubt in for some future performance issues. And, with players like Thiago still failing to make their mark – though looking like the player they signed – you have to wonder what the rest of the season will be like for them. And, with Chelsea having one of the best seasons they’ve had in years and having some incredible signings under their belt, the debate over whether Liverpool will make it into the top two continues.
Jurgen Klopp goes through it all with his squad, and they always come out the other side. Having led the team since 2015, he’s no stranger to the drama that leading a team like Liverpool brings. How do you think the reds will finish their season?