Klopp Claims Liverpool’s Injury Problems Have Made Him A Better Manager

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool’s injury problems this season have made him a better manager.

Klopp Claims Liverpool’s Injury Problems Have Made Him A Better Manager

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has had to contend with a number of defensive casualties this season which has partly caused their title defence to derail.

Liverpool have had to do without the influential Virgil Van Dijk in the heart of defence while the likes of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have suffered long term injuries.

Midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have had to fill in at the back but they too have had their fair share of fitness issues, making Klopp dip into the winter transfer market to bring in Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak from Preston North End and Schalke 04 respectively.

"Most of the problems are as a result of the injury situation," Klopp told Sky Sports. "This year we have faced completely new problems. I have never in my life - and I have been doing the job for 20 years - had to change the last line every week.

"I am a much better manager this season than I was before because usually you are not having to think about these things, but now I am having to think about them constantly.

"We had a situation on Friday night. We trained all week, or the few days that we had to train, with one specific line-up and then overnight we had to change it completely.

"That is another big thing to do that is common in football but we have had it plenty of times.

"People might say that is an excuse. I could not care less, to be honest. We do not use it as an excuse but if you ask me the question then it is the explanation for why things changed.

"We are all detail fanatics and it is very important that the little things work really well because then they become really influential on the bigger picture. Very often, that means the way you defend.

"You work on it but you do not change it too much because defending is something where stability is really important. And we have had to change our defence way too often to have any kind of stability, that is the truth."

He added: "I am not angry about it or whatever, I am 53 years old. I have had different moments in my life. Wonderful moments, lesser moments. It is just a football problem."

Liverpool are sixth on the league table and face Chelsea later on Wednesday.