Liverpool's worrying start to the season continued on Saturday, with the most recent defeat followed by claims of a bickering between Jurgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson.
Club captain Henderson was left on the bench by Klopp in Saturday's game against Nottingham Forest, although the Reds lost Thiago Alcantara to an ear infection on the eve of the game. While neither the players nor the coach hinted at any disagreement, former England midfielder Paul Scholes hinted that things weren't quite right between the two.
"He put Jordan Henderson on the bench and he should have played," Scholes told Premier League Productions. "He's the leader of the team. He's captain and Casemiro-type character and he excites everyone.
"He seems to have fallen with him, or injured. Something is not quite right there. ”
The reason for the absence could be injuries, or Klopp may simply choose to rotate the line-up. In other cases, however, things seem clearer when it comes to the relationship between players and managers.
Klopp tends to have a good relationship with members of the Liverpool team, but this is not always the case.
Mamadou Sakho was a big presence in Jurgen Klopp's first season at Liverpool, helping the Reds progress in reaching the Europa League final. However, a drug-testing controversy derailed his campaign, and things later went south in a different way.
The France international was part of Liverpool's US pre-season tour but was sent home early. It soon became clear that everything between Sacco and Klopp didn't seem quite right.
There was speculation that the defender was late for his flight, and Sacco also appeared to anger the manager by interrupting the Alcatraz interview. Whatever the reason, and possibly many, the former Paris Saint-Germain played his last game for Liverpool.
"I only have one question," Sacco said when Klopp was in front of the camera. "How long do you think you can live here?"
"I actually don't have to think about it. You should think about it," replied – apparently – jokingly. "Because only one of us came late last night to leave Liverpool. Not me. ”
Sacco was forced to play for the reserve team in the first half of the 2016-17 season before going on loan at Crystal Palace in January. He joined the Eagles at the end of the season and was unable to reclaim his place under Klopp.
Serdan Shaqiri
Swiss international Shaqiri was one of many players Klopp brought to Anfield to help the Reds kick off the game. Still, as he learned in 2018, it's not always plain sailing.
Shaqiri has only been at Liverpool for a few months before angering the manager in the Carabao Cup game against Chelsea. Merseyside lost the lead and lost to the Blues and Klopp was seen marching full-time towards the former Stoke City man.
Klopp explained after the game that free kicks were a source of disagreement. He clearly wanted Shaqiri to play when the Reds equalised, and he made that clear.
"I talked about a free kick — the last one," the manager explained. "Mo was on the wing and a whole group of players were all shooting in one direction where we shot.
"If he could play one-on-one at Mo in the last minute of the game, it wouldn't be too bad. It's just about free kicks, nothing else. ”
Nevertheless, Shaqiri eventually got himself back into Klopp's good book, helping Liverpool reach the Champions League final with a memorable comeback against Barcelona. In that case, almost no one worries about the end result.
Jordan Ibe
No Premier League starts for three months in 2015-16 raised questions about the manager's relationship with a player who joined the Reds as a teenager. He downplayed the hint of a rift, but it wasn't long before the player moved on.
"Where did I hear that Jordan has a problem with me or what?" Klopp said in April 2016. "Absolutely not.
"Only a few young players can play, sometimes they are in the squad, sometimes they are not. He's still a big big talent and that's great for English football. Today he did a great job with his first goal pass and the second cross. I am happy.
However, when Ibe moved to Bournemouth, he singled out Klopp's predecessor at Anfield. They play the same football as Brendan Rodgers used to, so I like the style of play and the manager's philosophy," he said.
Mario Balotelli
Klopp never gave Mario Balotelli too many chances at Liverpool. The Italian was loaned out in 2015-16 and when he returned, Klopp showed no signs of wanting to reintegrate him.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the manager said in July 2016: "He is not yet at the stage of his career and he should compete with four or five other players for a position or two. Sure enough, in the summer of the same year, Balotelli moved to Nice, but his description of events is more telling.
"Klopp doesn't know me," Balotelli told Sky Italia after his move to France. I talked to him once and he told me to go somewhere else, work hard, and come back. So I said goodbye to them and we won't see each other again."
Balotelli did not blame Klopp for his detriment at Anfield. However, he did accept that Liverpool was the wrong move for him as injuries hindered his early progress and he never managed to pull things back.
Virgil van Dijk
In the 2021-22 season, the situation for Liverpool was mostly positive, and until May, the Reds fought for glory on four fronts. However, there were also frustrating moments, especially when Klopp's side conceded a two-goal lead at home to Brighton in October.
After goals from Enock Mwepu and Leandro Trossard denied the Reds a victory, Klopp shouted at centre-back Virgil van Dijk on the sidelines. To his credit, Van Dijk seems to have accepted the criticism and moved on.
Liverpool have played another frustrating game at home to the Seagulls this season, drawing 3-3 after some worrying defensive play. "I talk to the boys in a similar way to the way I talk to you. I don't know how many times I have to say we need to react," he said.
"The first goal had an impact on both teams. They are flying, and we are somewhere in between. They used it for the second goal.
"We could have defended better. It's football and you have to accept it. On a day like this, when it starts in such a way, it's important to push through it. ”