12 Mar 2017

It's Your Fault: Klopp blames 'brilliant' €38m Liverpool star for Burnley 'problem'. Fair?

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has publicly called out one of Liverpool's players for his part in Burnley's goal at Anfield today.

In the 10th minute, Burnley defender Matt Lowton received the ball in acres of space in midfield, and then, under little pressure, he had time to pick out an inch perfect pass into the box.

Where was Emre Can during all this? Woefully out of position on the other side of the field, and upon seeing Lowton in space, Can jogged towards him in belated attempt to close down the space.

Can's nonchalance and positional indiscipline didn't impress Klopp, who expressed his frustration after the game:

"Emre knows that's a challenge he should've made [to stop the cross]. Also, too often he was in an aerial challenge. The problem then is protection, as you have no one for the second ball when Emre wins the ball, and there's a big space. Second half he did better".

Burnley's goal illustrates once again how much Liverpool need a dedicated defensive-midfield, or, at the very least, a speedy, dynamic, intelligent holding midfielder who can sniff out danger and anticipate problems.

A Kante-style midfielder might've tracked the run into midfield, and then had the speed to attack the ball before Lowton had the chance to get in his cross.

This type of thing (i.e. players running unopposed into midfield space) has happened numerous times season, including in the reverse fixture at Burnley, when Andre Gray scythed through Liverpool's midfield to score Burnley's second goal.

To be fair, all's well that ends well, and Can redeemed himself with the winning goal, and he deserves credit for that. That said, he still needs to be replaced, and is not worth the £100k-a-week he has reportedly demanded to sign a new contract.

^ Can: Hailed by James Milner as 'brilliant'. €38m-rated (CIES)



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