Jurgen Klopp has praised the impact Naby Keita had on last night’s game, despite Liverpool losing to Brentford.
The Guinean was one of three substitutes brought on by Jurgen Klopp with his team 2-0 down at half-time. And speaking in his post-match press conference via liverpoolfc.com, Klopp outlined his thinking behind the changes, whilst hailing Keita’s display.
“Virgil felt a little bit the muscle but said he is fine, and he’s a very good judge of these kind of things. But I didn’t want to take any risk – the physios looked quite happy when I said we don’t take risks. But I think it is not an injury, he just felt the intensity,” the manager explained.
“Yeah, the other two things were tactical. We had obviously had the opportunities. We could bring Naby, who I think played a really good game, and Robbo [Andy Robertson] – and Robbo with the first action after half-time was exactly what we needed. We needed that speed in behind and so that was the reason for these two changes.”
Klopp gets it wrong with Naby
There was perhaps an argument that all three of Liverpool’s half-time changes should have started the game.
Joel Matip has been good since the season’s restart and would have been an upgrade on the rusty looking Ibrahima Konate. Robertson meanwhile was clearly fine following a dead leg sustained in Friday’s win over Leicester City.
But Keita was the one who you felt could have really made the difference. Having come off the bench in the last three games, the 27-year-old seemed finally ready for a start.
Furthermore, Harvey Elliott has been pretty dreadful recently. Any criticism of him must come with the caveat that he is still a teenager and always gives his all.
But still, it has long since been time to take Elliott out of the firing line. The 19-year-old was alarmingly bad against Leicester and was even worse against Brentford. He should never have started.
Of course, Keita isn’t immune from criticism either. The £48m man lost the ball far, far too easily in the build up to Brentford’s killer third goal. By and large though, Liverpool looked a much better side with him on the pitch.
A midfield of Keita, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho from the start of the game would likely have given Liverpool a better chance of winning.
Having missed so much of the season so far, it can be easy to forget just what an asset Naby can be. With him now playing for his Liverpool future, if he’s fit, Klopp simply has to trust him more from here on in.
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