Liverpool: Klopp's celebration; first team duo feature for under 23s; internationals lined up

By Sam Leveridge

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will celebrate his one year anniversary at the Merseyside club on Saturday, but he insisted that he was in no mood for celebration, and hopes that nobody brings a cake as he told the Guardian:

I have no time, and I am not in the mood for reflection, to be honest… There was doubt, there was a lot of rumour around me. People said: ‘Obviously he was a good coach at Dortmund but a German managing here doesn’t work’ – things like this. That’s better now… But the thing is, I’m not here for a year, I’m here hopefully for the long term and it means that we have to use all the information we have until now and learn from it. That’s how life works, collecting experience, learning from it and being ready for the next challenge… We will not celebrate, I can tell you that – hopefully nobody brings me a cake!

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The German has already seen his side take massive steps to improve, as symbolised by the comeback at the Liberty Stadium which saw them take three points from a trip to Swansea at the weekend. Klopp has now moulded a squad to his style and has brought in some of his own kind of players, and he will be hoping to see them gel and improve as the season goes on with his impact already clear.

Some players who have been in action over the weekend, but not in Swansea, were fringe duo Danny Ings and Mamadou Sakho. The former Burnley forward was the star of the show as he scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Ipswich under-23s for Michael Beale’s side. The once capped England international has struggled for first team action under Klopp this season since returning from a knee injury, but will hope his good performances can give him a chance of action.

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Mamadou Sakho has also continued to impress in the reserve side as he seeks to persuade Klopp that he is deserving of an opportunity to feature in the first team once again despite being banished to the sidelines due to his behaviour off the field.

Two players who will be joining them in training at Melwood over the next fortnight are Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana as both were unavailable for selection under Gareth Southgate as he named his first England squad as interim manager, with knee and groin injuries respectively keeping them out of action.

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Former Red Glen Johnson replaced Clyne in the squad, but both will be desperate to be fit for the vital clash against Manchester United after the international break as both have enjoyed solid starts to the season, with Lallana proving his many doubters wrong to become one of Klopp’s key men. They will also be eyeing a return to international duty in November, when Southgate will remain in charge for the fixtures against Scotland and Spain at Wembley.

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