With Jurgen Klopp taking charge of his first home game at Anfield tomorrow evening against Russian outfit Rubin Kazan, it’s safe to say our resident Liverpool supporters in the Football Transfer Tavern are rather excited.
Having claimed a point from his first game in charge against Tottenham at the weekend, Klopp was enthusiastic about his side’s performance but stressed that time is needed in order for him to craft the Reds’ squad into title challengers once again.
Currently on two points from two games in Group B in the Europa League having drawn with Bordeaux and FC Sion thus far, a win is required tonight against Kazan to put Liverpool in the driving seat for qualification but deep down, every Reds fans knows that they’d rather their club in the Champions League.
A lot is made of Thursday night Europa League action proving a detriment to the form of club sides on Sunday back in the Premier League but with Klopp having talked about mentality a lot in his brief spell in charge so far, Liverpool will have to forget any excuses while solely concentrating on football, game by game.
Under Brendan Rodgers, we saw the former Liverpool boss give squad players more of a run out against Bordeaux and Sion and it remains to be seen whether Klopp will emulate this or go with his strongest available eleven against the Russians this evening.
At the time of writing, Daniel Sturridge was much fancied to return to the Liverpool fold having missed the Spurs game at the weekend via a further knock to his knee and his return to the Reds fold will prove vital in Liverpool grabbing a victory.
With Klopp also set to strengthen his team with a few new faces he values in January, a few current Liverpool players could be sweating on their future. That’s why we’ve devised a five-man list of Liverpool players Klopp needs to axe in January.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five players Jurgen Klopp needs to axe at Liverpool in January.
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Joe Allen
A favourite under now former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers of course, Joe Allen was pressed into action as a second half substitute against Tottenham at the weekend but with Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Emre Can and Lucas Leiva firmly ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, we think the writing could be on the wall for Allen.
Deemed by many Liverpool supporters to be too lightweight, especially in those top four battles, we think that whoever Brendan Rodgers ends up managing next, he’ll be sanctioning a bid for the player he managed at both Swansea City and Liverpool.
What’s more, a lot of Liverpool transfer talk has centred about Jurgen Klopp going for a new central midfielder with FC Porto’s Ruben Neves and Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan heavily linked and if the Reds manage to pull off either swoop, you’d imagine Allen would be the one to make way.
Jose Enrique
Still knocking around at Anfield, Liverpool supporters have started to forget what Jose Enrique looks like with the Spanish left back having been injured for a long-term spell.
Yet to make an appearance this term and having already been behind both Joe Gomez and Alberto Moreno in the defensive pecking order, we think Enrique fits that deadwood category that Jurgen Klopp will be quick to dispose of.
It’s a shame for Enrique who a couple of seasons ago looked a relatively solid option for the Reds at left back.
Divock Origi
With Danny Ings having succumbed to a season-ending injury and Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge also both out for the Tottenham game, striking duties fell to Divock Origi who led the Reds’ line at White Hart Lane last Saturday.
However, Origi had a hard time up front often resembling Bambi on ice and in one of few chances he’ll receive from the start this term, you don’t really feel like the Belgian international grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Signed on the back of the player bursting onto the scene with Lille back in 2013/14, the striker’s stock has definitely fell since then and we think that a January loan move beckons for Origi with Sturridge and Benteke representing far higher quality options at the moment.
Dejan Lovren
Having been Martin Skrtel’s first choice defensive partner at the start of the season under Brendan Rodgers, Dejan Lovren still didn’t manage to prove his critics wrong with the Croatian international’s mistake against West Ham United adding further credence to those who believe he simply isn’t up to it for Liverpool.
Having made a series of high-profile errors since signing from Southampton at the start of last season, Lovren’s confidence has taken a series of knocks and potentially irreparable ones.
The inconsistencies of Liverpool’s defence ultimately proved Rodgers’ undoing at Anfield and with Jurgen Klopp surely identifying this area as a position which needs immediate strengthening, surely Lovren is one who might be fighting for his Anfield future.
If Klopp did want to shift Lovren for the likes of a top quality European centre half however, he’d have to find a buyer first and that may prove difficult!
Jordan Rossiter
A product of the Liverpool academy, Jordan Rossiter has only received few first team chances in his fledgling Reds career to date.
A defensive midfielder and local lad in the Jay Spearing mould, Rossiter will be hoping he can do a little bit better than Spearing who now finds himself at Bolton Wanderers but right now, you feel as if a loan switch to a Championship outfit would help his development rather than playing Under-21 football.
Called upon in the Europa League and Capital One Cup in the past couple of seasons, Rossiter won’t be receiving first team chances any time soon with Klopp looking to put his own stamp on this Reds squad and therefore a temporary January loan switch seems ideal.
