Klopp: I'm not going to ask Thiago to keep running in front of the defence, it's clear he's the core of the organisation

Livestream Bar September 18 – Before the match against Crystal Palace, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked about the team's midfielder Thiago. Klopp said it was clear that Thiago was a world-class player and hoped he would stay fit and active.

Can Thiago bring more?

Klopp: "Of course, because his start wasn't perfect, he came here infected with COVID-19 and was injured very early on, which made things more difficult. But he showed what kind of player he could be and of course, there was a lot to do. Maybe now he's been in the franchise for a year, but actually considering what happened, that can also be counted as half a year. He adapts well, his family loves it and he has a really good personality, it's clear he's a world-class player, so, everything is fine. ”

On the tactical side

Klopp: It's obviously different for the players because some players have innate skills. For Thiago, all the technical stuff is very easy for him, but of course he also has to adapt to the way we play, to the way we defend. Maybe at Bayern they'll send in two No. 6 players more often, maybe Thiago will play a more aggressive role, but for us it's a complicated position. ”

"You need to attack, you need to defend, really between two lines, you can be at the back, but you don't need to catch the ball in the defensive line all the time. Actually he was a born footballer and he did, so everything was fine. Now I don't ask him to keep running in front of the defensive line, obviously he's an organizational core and sometimes he may be a little bit lower, but he also has to be close to the opponent's defence, or closer to the area, to change the game with the pass. ”

Thiago has only started once with Henderson and Fabinho

Klopp: "They can work well together, and that's going to be something that can happen in the future, no doubt about it. We have a lot of midfield combinations and I don't have a preferred trio and I don't have to do that. The players all have to show their performance in training and then I'll make a decision. Even if there are only three days between the two games, we will prepare as carefully as possible against the opponents. ”

"The Premier League is so intense, imagine you only have 4 midfielders and 3 of them have to play all the time and the other 1 is on the pitch from time to time, that's not going to work. It's a very rhythmic position, there are a lot of challenges and we have to stay as energetic as possible to be ready. Thiago went to the European Championship and then came back a little later and was injured too, he could be in better shape and ready for our game. Hopefully we can keep him fit and energetic, it's going to be a tough season. ”

Is there a plan to keep the midfield going

Klopp: "We do work hard every day, that's it. I would say what you're seeing on the right right now is a very nimble trio, and because of that flexibility, you'll even see Salah defending at right-back! Because Trent was in the box and Henderson was in the middle of the court or somewhere else, that was what we wanted. Of course, we're still in the process of fixing the problem, which gives you some advantage on the offensive end, but the defensive end will be a little bit more open and we need to get the rhythm right. ”

"This year we want to do that on both flanks, usually when Firmino comes on the pitch he's a little bit back to give the team support, but in recent games we've done that in a different way. So that's what we're talking about, and we're really trying to improve. ”

(Ma Dongyu)