Liverpool without Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for most of the season and Joel Matip also currently injured; Klopp says club are always "responsible" and ruled out a short-term addition; Klopp: "Nothing to say" on Georginio Wijnaldum contract talks stalemate
Friday 8 January 2021 11:25, UK
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will have to deal with their defensive shortcomings without looking to solve the problem in the transfer market.
Liverpool's injury record this season has been well-documented, with central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out for most of the season, and Joel Matip also currently injured.
Klopp has switched Fabinho from a holding-midfield role and called on academy products Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips to fill in at the back on occasion.
Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has said it is "paramount" the champions sign a centre-back this month to ensure they are able to retain the Premier League title, but Klopp says financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic means the situation is "tough" and he is on the same page as the club's owners Fenway Sports Group.
"In good times everyone thinks our owners are really generous - 'My God, big signings, whatever' - and in bad times everyone thinks they are really tight - maybe because they are from a different country - but they are not, they are absolutely concerned about the club and success of the club," he said.
"And that is an understanding how we have it. They see exactly the same things I see about necessity of players and stuff - it's not that I say 'By the way a centre-half would be really nice' and they say 'Wow, a centre-half. Really? Why?'.
"It is all clear, all on the table, we work on that. It is the situation and on top of that we have January, not the easiest transfer window, having not the money exactly like we want.
"It is a window where other clubs say 'No, we have enough (money) to survive' so we don't do anything on our targets.
"It is nothing to do with worrying (about whether it affects their chances of defending their title) or not. These are the facts.
"My job is to deal with the circumstances which I always do. If the world would be in a completely normal place, we would try everything to do the right stuff now but the world is not in a normal place so I don't know why we constantly try to treat the football like it is independent of other issues around."
"I am a football supporter but not employed here as a supporter, I am employed as a manager," he added.
"As a supporter I see we need a centre-half and another club has a good one so bring him in. I understand that.
"My job is not that, my job is to make the players we have here as strong as possible to deal with it.
"Would one centre-half help and sort all our problems? For a game or two and then he could be injured as well.
"It is the trickiest situation you can imagine; you have three senior centre-halves and they are all injured. That doesn't happen a lot but it happened.
"We have to deal with it and we cannot solve it on the transfer market.
"The club tries what they can but if they can't then we have to do what we did so far: get stronger as a group, stick more together and fight against the world, fight against the circumstances, strike back with all we have and make the most special season ever of it."
Klopp confirmed Matip is ruled out of their FA Cup third-round tie at Aston Villa on Friday and says it will be "tight" to get him ready for their next Premier League game, at home to Manchester United on January 17, live on Sky Sports.
Klopp also revealed there had been no further developments, positive or negative, regarding contract talks with Georginio Wijnaldum.
A long-standing offer of a new deal remains on the table but, for now, the 30-year old Netherlands midfielder has not accepted it.
Sky Sports News has been told suggestions Wijnaldum has turned down a new contract offer from Liverpool are wide of the mark.
The player, who is out of contract in the summer, wants to stay at Anfield but believes his wages should compare more favourably with the club's top earners.
"There's really nothing to say," Klopp said. "I think I've said everything about how much I like the person and the player.
"That's not good or bad news, that's just how it is. If there is a decision, you will know it."
The winter transfer window is open until Monday February 1 at 11pm.
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