ReactionPress conference: Jürgen Klopp on Burnley 0-2 Liverpool, going top and goalscorers
Jürgen Klopp praised his squad for a ‘really pleasing’ first half of the Premier League season after Liverpool went top by defeating Burnley 2-0.
The Boxing Day win at Turf Moor, secured by an early Darwin Nunez goal and Diogo Jota’s late strike on his return from injury, moved the Reds to the summit ahead of Arsenal’s fixture on Thursday.
Read on for Klopp’s verdict on the display against the Clarets, the campaign so far, the goalscorers and more at his post-match press conference…
On the result and Liverpool’s performance at Turf Moor...
You never know exactly what you can expect with the fourth game in 10 days, it was really intense. Whatever the outside world thinks, it is really intense – and coming here and playing the game we played is absolutely exceptional. It’s exceptional as well that we didn’t score more goals… actually, we did but for different reasons they took them away. So, we had to wait long and obviously for a long time we caused Burnley so many problems, we played a super game. As the last game in a really busy period you cannot really expect that but we did.
I really liked the game we played, but we should have scored more and that’s clear. Then the game stays open and Burnley have massive chances to score [at] the second post – maybe even the first they had, if I am right: the finish when he mishits the ball. I am pretty sure that was the first chance [for them], but in the end we deserved to win the game and it was two perfect goalscorers, I would say, with Darwin and then Diogo.
We sneaked him in somehow on the squad list because he trained only twice and the medical department wanted to give him extra training and I said he can have that in Burnley. He had that tonight and now he can train tomorrow properly and then he will be ready for Newcastle, which is really helpful. Two-nil, no injuries, all good.
On what Jota’s finishing adds to the team...
I love Diogo Jota but he missed chances in the past as well. He had some fortune like that. It’s the nature of the thing that we always ask for, always the players who are not involved, and then all of a sudden we think they can change the world. Diogo is an incredibly important player for us. Having him changed the whole dynamic, that’s true, but before in his life he missed some chances.
The goal he scored today is the goal of a boy full of conviction. Good technique, obviously, but full of conviction because he had no chance to create any kind of doubt in the last few weeks because he was in rehab. That’s why the goal for Darwin was as important. Cody scored again, Harvey scored an incredible goal, they just took them away and it’s really, really tough, but how I said, we won the game and it’s all fine.
On whether he was frustrated by the missed chances at half-time...
Yes, but I was not frustrated. It was clear we just had to keep going, that’s how it is. Actually, I was really happy with the game we played and then we missed chances. In those 10 days, I don’t know how many finishes we had today, but I think last week we had over 80 in the last three games. Not shots on target, but finishes. Plus today, maybe it is now over 100 in four games, I don’t know. It’s absolutely insane and I like that.
Yes, we should have been calmer in these moments, we should have finished the game off much earlier, that’s clear, but again that’s not for me to be frustrated [about] because I know how intense the period is and it is all about creating, it’s all about getting through, it’s all about getting results. I know the world is like that, you missed chances today and then everybody tells you, ‘You missed [them] in the last game as well’ but it is nothing to do with the last game. Who cares, it’s gone. We got a point for it and we go again. Today we got three, well deserved, we could have made it easier, but as long as I am at Liverpool we didn’t do it the easy way, so why should we start with that now?
On being top of the league…
So, 42 points, that’s really pleasing, to be honest. That’s really cool because the first part of the season [is] done and it was absolutely alright what we did. Not perfect but it was alright. And if I’m right, we cannot be more than a point away from the top of the table, if Arsenal win. That’s obviously in punching distance, let me say it like that.
On Wataru Endo…
I loved this game, I have to say. It’s a bit of a shame how he found his feet and now he goes to the Asian Cup but that’s how it is, it’s fine. What a boy and what a player and very important. At least in January we have to play more or less without him but against Newcastle he is still here. Then the boys leave and then we have to find another way and we will. But for the moment, I am really happy for him. It took him a little bit [of time] that he really showed how good he really is, but now we can see it and I’m really happy about that.
On Jarell Quansah’s performance on the evening…
Yeah, top, really good. We have so many games and Jarell is a fixed part of this first line-up – in, out, in, out, with the amount of games we play. There is not a line-up, there are line-ups and as long as they are all fit then one will start and the other will not, all these kinds of things. He did really well. A good footballer, which is really helpful. I think it helps him a lot to play next to Virg. He can play with Ibou as well but Virg is still the step up in leadership, I would say, and that helps for sure. It was a good performance, I liked it a lot. Joey [Gomez] today, defensively solid and offensively from time to time involved, that’s all really good. How I said, it was a good game with not-so-good moments. But in the end we should have won the game and we did.