Ballon d'Or: Virgil Van Dijk reflects on coming second place
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has defended Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino for their relative lack of goals this season. And in the process he has taken a veiled dig at Leicester forward Jamie Vardy who is currently top of the Premier League scoring charts with 13 goals to his name.
Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp has no worries over Mo Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino (Image: GETTY)
“You guys (journalists) always confront me with these kind of things and I’m like ‘wow, really?’
“I don’t count goals, I don’t look at these numbers.
“Jamie Vardy is an exceptional striker, but he has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off and is sitting on the couch watching international football so you cannot compare this.
“It’s a big, big plus for Leicester with the quality they have and all the rest. Yes, we have to score goals.
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“I was completely fine with scoring two after set-pieces in the last game (against Brighton) with Virg (Virgil van Dijk).
“We could have scored much more in the early part of the game when we played some unbelievable football. We couldn’t keep that throughout the game, but still had big changes - the one with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for example (in the second half).
“I start being concerned when we don’t create chances anymore, so that’s the moment where you really have to think. We know we could have played better in some games, but we cannot usually - the derby is different - isolate games.
Liverpool news: Roberto Firmino has struggled in front of goal so far this season (Image: GETTY)
“We have to think 'OK, it's because of...' and it is good that we didn't do more and kill ourselves in the game that we can't walk, when we have the next game to play. So we have to be smart as well.
“Both teams City and Leicester have had these big scorelines (City 8-0 Watford and Southampton 0-9 Leicester) and they are only three or four goals ahead of us. It’s not that it is a massive difference.
“Our goal difference is good and I’m really fine with it.
“The most important thing is we win the games, who scores - I don’t care.”
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Liverpool have a packed fixture schedule in December because of their involvement in the Club World Cup.
The Reds could have as many as nine games before the January transfer window comes around if they reach the final of the tournament.
That run starts tonight when Liverpool take on arch-rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield (8.15pm).