Jurgen Klopp insists entire Liverpool squad has to play its part
Thursday 21 April 2016 14:58, UK
Jurgen Klopp has backed Liverpool's squad to perform in the season's run-in and says his fringe players have a vital part to play.
The German boss is likely to need to utilise every resource available to him after losing a senior player to injury for the third successive week.
Captain Jordan Henderson and Emre Can were both ruled out for at least a month apiece in successive matches, while in-form striker Divock Origi has joined them on the sidelines as he was being carried off on a stretcher after scoring the opener in the 4-0 demolition of Everton.
With Christian Benteke only just recovering from a hamstring problem and Danny Ings ruled out for the season after a knee operation Klopp currently has Daniel Sturridge as his only fit striker.
Klopp's side have played 55 matches already this season with at least seven more to come - eight if they reach the Europa League final - and have been so badly affected by injuries along the way he has had to call on the youth team to provide cover.
The rotation is likely to continue until the end of the campaign but even the fringe players have Klopp's backing.
"They are only good players. There is not a player in the squad where I think 'Oh, why is he here?"' Klopp said. "In each game [recently]: Stoke - different formation, Bournemouth, Dortmund, Everton - different formations but we also showed our different styles.
"We are not only a pressing and counter-pressing team, we are a possession team and it is a challenge to bring it together.
"We will work on it and we won't be finished on it but we need players. They have to do the work and hopefully we will have enough for the last few games."
Klopp has guided his side to four wins in their last four games in all competitions, with victory over Everton lifting them back up to seventh in the Premier League. While fourth-placed Arsenal, six points ahead, may just be too far to reel in, Manchester United, in fifth having played one match more, are only five in front.
A string of wins until the end of the season could make life uncomfortable for those clubs but Klopp does not yet think he has found the magic formula.
"How can you get consistency? We had still [played] the most games in Europe with a lot of injuries. You need to have a little bit of luck with injuries," Klopp added.
"Consistency is about having players ready for the next game. Consistency comes with working together. We can't do a lot of things like you usually do in three weeks, we need six-and-a-half months.
"We are here with 54 points, which is not too bad. There are 15 to get or not but all the games are difficult with the challenge of the Europa League. We have to win as often as possible and look at what others have done."
