Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Monday, February 13.
Jurgen Klopp launches passionate defence of Liverpool backroom staff
Jurgen Klopp is adamant all criticism should be directed at him for Liverpool's struggles this term as he aimed to take the spotlight away from the uncertainty behind the scenes.
The Reds are currently engulfed by problems at the midway point of their Premier League season, having taken just 29 points from 20 games to date and only seven from the last 18, post-World Cup. It has left a top-four finish looking unlikely, meaning Klopp could next term find himself uninvolved in the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign.
Klopp says it is he who should shoulder the blame for such a season of underperformance as he aimed to defend some of his backroom staff and take the attention away from a club who are on the lookout for both a new sporting director at a time when the owners, Fenway Sports Group, continue to assess the merits of either a full or partial sale.
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Klopp refused to answer a question from a journalist in the wake of last Saturday's miserable 3-0 loss at Wolves and says any critiques should focus only on him going forward.
"One hundred per cent [I feel positive] that's a completely normal reaction, and you know that as well," Klopp said. "We could go now through the seven-and-a-half years, a lot of people left and a lot came in, and it always worked out and we never spoke about it because 'oh, he's coming in, oh that helps.'
"Now we play bad football and now you tell me this and it makes no sense. And if they (staff members) were not helpful or inspirational or whatever you want to call it, they would not be here. I'm 100% clear on that. Nobody is here because they are my friend or whatever, it was never the case and never will be the case.
"They are here because they are best in class in what they are doing. That's all. Again, if you praise them in the good times then criticise them in the bad times. If you don’t praise them in the good times, then don’t it in the lesser good times. Don't do that - have the balls and go for me!
"Then the confrontation can happen, of course but I get an awful lot of money to face these situations and my life is fine. But they all have a career after and stuff like this and if we start talking about like this - he did this and he did that - and by the way if I would listen to people who give me the wrong advice, again that is my fault. And not their fault, just to make sure.
"I will not change in that department. So just as a little warning. And I didn’t even read [the critical piece], that's the funny part, it was spoken about so much that in the end I got aware of that and that means then it's a subject and it's a subject that everybody is talking about then I have to react. That's how it is."
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Will Spearman handed key role at Liverpool after major changes in recruitment
Liverpool have appointed Will Spearman as their new director of research ahead of Dr. Ian Graham’s departure at the end of the season.
Joining the Reds in 2018, Spearman had been the club’s lead data scientist, essentially serving as Dr. Graham’s second in command. But he has now been promoted to replace his departing colleague.
Dr. Graham will leave the club in May, having resigned from his role back in November after being appointed director of research at Anfield back in 2012.
Spearman is a Harvard graduate and previously held roles with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland and sports analytics company Hudl in the United States prior to joining Liverpool.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
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