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Liverpool will have regrets over Man Utd defeat – but Jurgen Klopp’s post-match strop is not one of them
I think Liverpool will have a lot of regrets at the manner in which they exited the FA Cup at Old Trafford. They didn’t play at their best, nowhere near, but it was still a game they could and should have put to bed, particularly in the second half of the 90. Their lack of precision and sharpness in the final third cost them dear, and while Manchester United deserve credit for their persistence, the Reds can only blame themselves for how the afternoon turned out.
The good news from Liverpool’s perspective is that they have other competitions to go after – this wasn’t do-or-die for their season – but still any defeat against United will hurt, and this one certainly will, given it was an avoidable one.
Jurgen Klopp’s post-match spat with Viaplay’s Niels Christian Frederiksen obviously garnered a bit of attention, and it is by no means the first time the Reds boss has taken exception to a reporter’s line of questioning.
I was surprised that it was ‘that’ question which set him off, as it felt a little tame in all honesty, but as Frederiksen himself pointed out, quite rightly, it is almost part of being a top manager that you don’t take losing particularly well, and I’m sure all will be forgotten next time the pair meet.
I’ve seen Klopp give a bit to other reporters in the past and it’s never become a feud or a long-running grudge, so I don’t expect it to be so this time.
Take Pep Lijnders manager speculation with a pinch of salt
There has again been some talk of Pep Lijnders being an option to replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager, but I would take that talk with a hefty pinch of salt, given the source, but of course it is not just Klopp who is leaving Liverpool this summer, it’s the bulk of his coaching staff too, and there’s no doubt that Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, in particular, have been a big part of the Reds’ success in recent years. That said, the idea that Liverpool’s players would be offering strong opinions as to who the next manager should be is rather fanciful to me.
I don’t think there’s any chance Lijnders will get the top job at this stage, and nor should he either. If we are questioning the experience of Xabi Alonso, Ruben Amorim or Roberto De Zerbi, then we have to do the same with Lijnders, whose senior managerial career amounts to a few months at NEC Nijmegen.
There’s no question that he is a big figure, day-to-day, at Liverpool, and his coaching credentials are excellent, but I think even he would accept that if he is looking to re-start his career as a head coach, he needs to go and prove himself elsewhere before stepping into the big job on Merseyside. I expect to see him in the dugout somewhere next season, just not at Anfield.
Liverpool midfield duo continue to be overlooked by England
Harvey Elliott has had a really good season and he, like Curtis Jones, will certainly have his eye on breaking into the senior England squad going forward. I wonder whether Jones would already be in, had he not suffered that injury against Brentford last month.
Elliott’s problem, perhaps, is that he is used as often from the bench as he is from the start – he earned the ‘super sub’ tag at Liverpool earlier in the season – and that he kind of falls between two positions, playing either as a right-sided No.8 or as a right winger. I don’t see him breaking into the England squad as the latter, and he has a few established names to compete with in the former.
Jordan Henderson, certainly, is one that should be looking over his shoulder and looking at the likes of Elliott, Jones, Kobbie Mainoo and others. He’s been a good player for Liverpool, but at 33 he will know that the younger generation is at the door. The likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are certainties in England’s midfield going forward, and it is up to the rest to elbow their way in.
Certainly, Elliott has improved his chances this season. He’s a star at U21 level, but I don’t see him making the Euros squad unless there is a raft of injuries at this stage. Jones, I would say, is closer but needs to steer clear of injuries.
Liverpool like Jamal Musiala but it’s not an easy transfer
Bayern Munich look like they are going to have a summer of real change, in the dugout and within their squad, and there are certainly a few players that could be in the minds of a lot of top clubs. Joshua Kimmich, for example, is being linked away, although from a Liverpool perspective I’d be giving that one a wide berth.
Serge Gnabry, too, seems like a far-fetched link when it comes to Liverpool. He’ll be 29 in July and has not played an awful lot of football over the past few months. Liverpool are not in the business of spending big money and dishing out big contracts to such players. The same goes for Leroy Sane, who turned 28 in January.
Musiala is different. At 21 he has his best years ahead of him, and he absolutely has the potential to be one of the very best in his position. I know that from a Bayern point of view, they are desperate to retain him, and I also know that pretty much every other top club in Europe, Liverpool included, would want to be in the conversation should he leave. I don’t imagine Manchester City or Real Madrid would be sitting on their hands there!
Liverpool’s stance whenever I’ve asked has always been a ‘well, yes, of course we like him’ but as far as I’m aware there is nothing more concrete than that, despite the links. If I were a gambler, I’d bet on him staying at Bayern – even if I would love to see him at Anfield!