Does he have a point?
Stephen Hunt has offered his view on the current injury crisis at Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently without 13 first-team players in the middle of a hectic fixture schedule.
Sam Allardyce claimed earlier this week that Klopp’s preferred high-pressing playing style, and the German’s inexperience of English football’s gruelling schedule, may be a contributory factor to Liverpool’s injuries.
However, Hunt believes the transition from former manager Brendan Rodgers to Klopp, and their contrasting training methods and playing styles, is a more likely cause.
The former Republic of Ireland international also claims that the Premier League side lack the strong personalities necessary to ask their new manager to compromise.
“Maybe Klopp could have brought a bit more pragmatism to it, especially concerning team selection,” Hunt wrote in his column for The Sunday Independent.
“He also might have needed somebody in the squad to stand up and tell him their concerns, but the problem with the Liverpool team is that it doesn’t seem to have too many leaders.
I remember reading that Tony Adams persuaded Arsene Wenger not to abandon three at the back when the new manager arrived at Arsenal after the season had started. Wenger wanted to play a flat back four, but under Bruce Rioch, Arsenal had played with a three. They’d worked on it in pre-season and Adams felt it would be counter-productive to change at that stage. Wenger agreed.
I’m not sure who would speak to Klopp in a similar way. Jordan Henderson has been injured, James Milner has just arrived at the club, while there are very few players so certain of their place that they’d want to make a challenging if constructive point to the manager.”
Hunt, who this week signed a short-term deal with League One side Coventry City, also conceded that Klopp’s in a tough spot, and is right to stick to his principles. But some compromise may be necessary to avoid further injuries.
Ultimately, the 34 year old believes that Liverpool’s problems stem from Klopp being not having a pre-season with the squad.
“Trying to enforce the change in October may be where Klopp has experienced problems. The players at Liverpool did a pre-season which wasn’t just about getting them fit, it was designed to fit in with whatever training plans Rodgers had for the rest of the campaign.
Rodgers didn’t last too long, and in his place you get one of the best managers in the world, but one who has very clear ideas about what his teams should do, and to do what he wants them to, Liverpool require a different type of fitness.”
