Klopp criticises fickle media, backs Liverpool youngsters who flopped yesterday

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp supported the young team he selected yesterday, despite their poor performance which led to a 3-1 defeat away at Swansea.

Six players under the age of 22 started, which was the youngest XI Liverpool have picked in the top flight since 1971.

Klopp was keen to point out that a similar group of players beat Stoke and Bournemouth recently, and that following those results, everyone was praising the talented youngsters at Liverpool’s disposal.

“I can’t change my mind every two days like you obviously can,” he told the Echo. “After Bournemouth, Stoke, after these games, everyone said ‘oh my God how good are these young players?’ and they are good but that’s how life is.

“Being a professional football player is not always a honeymoon, you have to prove and deliver, today it didn’t happen but that’s not a problem for the future. It was a problem for today.

“The only result would be completely senseless if you don’t use this information for the future and that is what we will do for sure.

“The players have to improve, we knew this before, but even in this moment we could have played better. It’s not about the squad, it’s about the performance today.”

Brad Smith was sent off, Pedro Chirivella was hauled off at half-time and Sheyi Ojo was largely ineffective – so it’s clear our youngsters have lots of improving to do if they’re to become more regular first-teamers next term.

With summer acquisitions expected and Marko Grujic and Joel Matip already confirmed, the inexperienced players from yesterday know they’ll need to up their games, despite Klopp’s words.

They’re likely to get another chance from now until the end of the season, as we effectively have nothing to play for in the Premier League – with the top 4 an impossibility.

In playing terms, everything rests on Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Villarreal.

 

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