What was said?
Speaking to the Sunday World, John Aldridge said, “Any player should want to work under Klopp.”
“There will be those who have agents that make sure they go to the club that offers the most money, but that should not be your sole ambition.
“You should want to work for the best managers in the world and play for the biggest clubs in the world and that is what Klopp and Liverpool are.
“When the fans are back next season and Liverpool have captain Jordan Henderson back in the team and Virgil van Dijk marshalling the defence, they could click back into gear quickly.
“The forward positions may need a bit of tweaking this summer and I’d expect to see a few arrivals and a few players heading out. Liverpool have to get it right now because the momentum they had this time last year has all gone.”
The bigger picture
Liverpool have had a disastrous season. After following the [league 2] triumph with a long-awaited [league 8] title, the reds have observed a drastic drop off this season. With five games remaining, it’s improbable for them to be in the Champions League next season.
Multiple injuries to their significant players have played a huge role behind it. Arguably the best centre back in the world, [player 1743] was ruled out for the season after that horrible collision with [player 1826]. That was the start of numerous injuries. His partner, [player 1453], was also ruled out for the season. [player 1920]’s inconsistent fitness continued as he has also hardly played this season. [player 323], [player 96099], Jota have also had injury issues.
All of them will be back for next season, and [team 8] will surely be stronger. However, this squad does need some freshness. Most of them have played together for nearly 4-5 years now, and some younger blood could improve the side.
Liverpool have reportedly completed the signing of [team 277] defender [player 100556]. Sources also suggest that they will look to bring in an attacking player like they signed [player 159917] last summer. [team 71]’ [player 160258] is someone they might look at in that mould.
However, with their absence in Europe’s elite competition next season, they might face a few issues. In that case, targeting players from lower teams in the league is something that could be helpful. A similar approach as they took with [player 4125] and [player 1389] a few years back. Both of them came to Liverpool as average players with good potential, but their improvement under [coach 455353] has been exceptional. The same thing can be said for the likes of [player 1365] and [player 1078].
The club could and should apply a similar method again. [team 78]’s [player 96870] is another player they are looking at as a replacement for Wijnaldum, who looks set to join [team 83] in the summer. It wouldn’t only be suitable for their circumstances but would also be economically healthier.