Liverpool’s home loss against Burnley in the Premier League broke the astonishing 68 home games unbeaten record at Anfield.
Ashley Barnes converted a penalty in the 83rd minute to push Liverpool to fourth on the points table. Currently, they sit six points behind league leaders, Manchester United.
More than the loss, the recent comments by Jurgen Klopp about the transfer window in the post-match press conference have caught fans by surprise. The gaffer was vocal about the need for a central defender but there are no steps being taken by senior management.
Jurgen Klopp said after game:
"And it is not that I say by the way, a centre-half would be really nice and they say wow, a centre half, really, why? So it is not not like this. It is all clear. It is all on the table. We work on that, you can imagine.But I cannot spend the money. I don’t make these decisions. There are people who are responsible for the whole thing, and I cannot make their decisions. I am not a five-year-old kid any more and if I don’t get what I want I start crying.(Via: Goal)"
The comments of Jurgen Klopp have raised some serious questions regarding Fenway Sports Group (FSG). But it also brings us to a glaring question and that is, have FSG lost faith in Jurgen Klopp?
Jurgen Klopp and his time at Anfield
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The German was appointed as the manager of the Anfield outfit in October 2015. The manager built a Liverpool that was regarded as one of the best Reds’ side of the Premier League era.
Not only did he remove the deadwood from the club but also brought in players who are now considered world-class. Though Klopp signed many players, he kept the net spend as low as possible by selling unwanted players for the right price.
Rewarding his early performances, the club broke bank to sign Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Naby Keita in successive seasons.
With proper reinforcements in the side, the manager was able to win the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League. However, the club has failed to bring in able backups in the pandemic struck transfer window.
In the last summer transfer window, the club sold Dejan Lovren, Rhian Brewster and Harry Wilson. Also, Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana left the club as free agents.
Coming into the club, the Reds signed Diogo Jota, Tsimikas and Thiago, they forgot to add an established center-back to the squad. The injury to Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip has had serious implications for Liverpool’s ambitions.
In the absence of van Dijk, other players like Fabinho, Milner and Jordan Henderson have stepped in the central defender role and have conceded just 11 goals. However, the Reds lack the presence of the towering defender which has hampered their attacking abilities too.
Also, the club has relied on TAA to create chances from the right flank with Salah firing blanks. Roberto Firmino‘s poor form has also contributed to the club’s dry run in the past three EPL games.
Despite the situation calling for reinforcements in attack and defense, the owners have remained tight-lipped about transfers.
Jurgen Klopp opined:
"Most of the time in my life I didn’t get what I wanted, so pretty much used to that. We talk about a centre-half, and yes, it would help 100 per cent.(Via: Goal)"
FSG have remained stringent over the budget in the winter transfer window. This could hamper their title challenge in the EPL (if it hasn’t already hampered it) but the Champions League is also at stake.
Will FSG listen to Klopp and get him a center-back which is an immediate requirement for the Reds?