Klopp ahead of Saints clash: “Yes, for sure I’ll talk to Virgil about going back there”
Jürgen Klopp has admitted that he will speak to Virgil van Dijk ahead of the hostile atmosphere that is likely to await him at St Mary’s this Sunday.
The Dutchman finally completed his long-awaited £75m move to the Reds in January after he had a transfer request rejected by Southampton in the summer.
WATCH: Jürgen Klopp’s pre-Southampton press conference in full
HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – Tuesday, January 30, 2018: Liverpool’s substitute Virgil van Dijk on the bench before the FA Premier League match between Huddersfield Town FC and Liverpool FC at the John Smith’s Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Klopp doesn’t believe Van Dijk will be affected by the potential jeers that await him.
“Yes I will for sure talk to Virgil about it.
“With the other players I didn’t talk about it because I didn’t know where they were all coming from. I didn’t know about the special story, but now I do.
“Yes we will talk about it and we will see.”
A number of Liverpool’s likely squad for their trip to Southampton this weekend have played for the Saints before. As well as Van Dijk, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mané have all been at Southampton in the past.
SWANSEA, WALES – Monday, January 22, 2018: Liverpool’s Sadio Mane during the FA Premier League match between Swansea City FC and Liverpool FC at the Liberty Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Klopp: “I don’t know exactly but probably it will not be the most friendly.
“The people in Southampton, since I am in, they were always really nice with Clyney, I don’t know exactly why; Adam Lallana, obviously they missed the most; Dejan Lovren; Sadio Mane I think was OK, I’m not 100 per cent sure, and then Virgil is the last one so that’s how it is.
“I really understand that but it’s nothing we really think about. It will be more normal in the future but now we have to go there and play football and nothing else.
“I absolutely don’t think anybody in Southampton would say we’ve stolen him or something, it was a very public deal and the numbers – even when they are not 100 per cent right – I think OK, maybe they are really happy and they would say ‘thank you for all the money we have now’!”
Klopp went on to praise Southampton’s academy system and joked:
“Maybe we should have a scouting department directly in Southampton! It shows how good the work is there.”
HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – Saturday, August 26, 2017: Southampton’s manager Mauricio Pellegrino during the FA Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Southampton at the John Smith’s Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Southampton currently sit in 15th after a mixed season under the management of former Liverpool defender Maurcio Pellegrino.
Klopp is expecting a tough match on the south coast this coming Sunday.
“It won’t be a friendly game, they fight for everything, we fight for everything. They will want to show their quality but we have our own targets. They are a football playing side.”
Joe Gomez will again be absent as he continues to recover from a minor knee injury, but there was more positive news on the fitness of Ragnar Klavan and Alberto Moreno.
On Gomez, Klopp said: “He was running outside but not with the team but that means he’s close.
“I don’t think he has a chance for Sunday if they don’t come in and say the running was the good! We can have him this afternoon as well but then Porto, there’s a chance. We will see.
“Raggy (Klavan) trained the last two days. Alberto (Moreno) needed only two days again and looked good yesterday. That’s it – nothing else at the moment.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Friday, January 5, 2018: Liverpool’s Adam Lallana during the FA Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC, the 230th Merseyside Derby, at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
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Eyebrows were raised on Monday evening when Adam Lallana was sent off for the U23s against Spurs, in a match that Jürgen Klopp used for several of his first team players to try and build up their match fitness.
As well as Lallana, Ben Woodburn, Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke all played. Klopp also revealed that he wanted to use Alberto Moreno in this game, only for the Spaniard to be ruled out with a minor injury.
Lallana reacted poorly to a challenge from a Spurs player and was given a straight red card.
Klopp says the midfielder could be in the squad for the trip to play his former team this weekend.
“It’s not nice. I spoke to him about that. It’s not how it should be. He wasn’t happy about the reaction and I wasn’t either.
“He’s an option for the squad. Maybe not the first XI. He looks fresh and good but we need to settle a bit and use Adam as there are about 18-19 games to go.”
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