Jürgen Klopp should heed his own warning in regards to complacency. The enigmatic Liverpool manager recently went on record to warn his players about complacency . Press statements attributed to him, point to worries that the Anfield players have rested on their laurels lately. Familiar issues upon returning from international breaks were in evidence in the last match against Southampton. Fatigue for star players like Philippe Coutinho, and key injuries namely to the mercurial Adam Lallana. Performance wise Liverpool looked solid if not spectacular against the Saints, while worryingly missing easy chances. On the face of it a point away at St Mary’s is a decent result. However, complacency markedly came from the Liverpool manager particularly in the second half.
Complacency.
With the three points firmly there for the taking, Klopp doggedly refused to introduce a goal poacher until very late in the game. With the natural goal scoring talents of Daniel Sturridge, and the power and pace of Divock Origi at his disposal, Klopp, complacently relied on his starting eleven. Southampton were defending almost exclusively, and the trio of Sadio Mané, Coutinho and Roberto Firmino were becoming less likely to break the deadlock. Klopp is undoubtedly a top class manager, he does possess however a stubborn streak in regards to possibly effective substitutions.
Habitual.
According to Liverpool stats guru Andrew Beasley, Klopp hasn’t favored game changing substitutions at Borussia Dortmund or at Liverpool. In essence this has meant historically, Klopp’s teams average a lower amount of late game winning goals. The Premier League title race is very tight so far in the top four positions. Late game winning or equalizing goals could prove to be crucial in Liverpool’s challenge. The Reds have the talent in the squad to change games in their favor, with the right player changes at key times in games. Klopp needs to avoid complacency in his substitution policy when games are in the balance.
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