There have been some pretty bizarre accusations levelled against Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, and the fanbase at large in light of the heavy injuries the club has sustained this term.
With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez – to name just a couple – stuck on the sidelines with season-ending injuries, many have pointed to our missing men as a factor behind the side’s notable drop-off this time around.
City’s own mini ‘injury-crisis’, after Aymeric Laporte suffered a knee issue, is often referenced by those who would accuse the Reds of ‘excuse-making’.
However, as Simon Brundish’s tweet has pointed out, the comparatively more sever impact of Liverpool’s injuries is starkly evidenced by the numbers.
Liverpool players have missed 273 games so far this season
Man City’s title defence was “ruined” by injuries last year, with 118games missed
>35 of those from lads who didn’t get a game when fit
— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) April 17, 2021
It’s possible for something to be a significant contributory fact, without being an excuse
— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) April 17, 2021
Why on earth Liverpool fans, or even those working for the club, are ostracised for simply pointing out an obvious contributing factor to our poor title defence this term is beyond us.
Klopp himself has certainly made it clear on numerous occasions that it’s not an excuse but an explanation for why things haven’t turned out as well as our prior trophy-laden campaigns.
Regardless, you simply can’t compare the loss of both Van Dijk and Gomez for the season – not to mention Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Fabinho, and Jordan Henderson for good portions of the year – to those previously suffered by City.
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