Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Gorst

Jurgen Klopp agent confirms what Liverpool fans already knew as big target remains

Among the 400 Liverpool games Jurgen Klopp has presided over as Liverpool boss, many of his most memorable have come in the Champions League.

From the thrilling runs to the 2018 and 2022 finals - either side of actually lifting the biggest club competition in the game itself in 2019 - Klopp's European highlight reel is a lengthy one.

Barcelona, Roma and Manchester City, to name just three at Anfield alone, all conjure instant memories of famous nights here. The final group game of the 2022/23 campaign won't ever feature on such a list, however.

LFC RATINGS: Darwin Nunez and one more excellent in Napoli win

CL DRAW: Who Liverpool could face in Champions League last-16 after group stage progress

This was a game played like exactly what it was: two teams who knew their passage to the next round was already safe. But, crucially, a 2-0 victory against a side of Napoli's quality is another riposte to those who believe this team's best days are behind them. Liverpool are quite the conundrum this season, aren't they?

The pre-match build-up was populated by quotes from Klopp's agent, Marc Kosicke, apparently reaffirming the manager's ongoing devotion and dedication to the Anfield cause. "I can assure [you] that Jurgen Klopp has no intention of resigning from Liverpool FC," the agent was quoted as saying in German media.

Things are not quite as they should be on the inside at this club just now, but neither the manager nor the owners' belief that Klopp is still the right man to lead Liverpool out of the maze has waned even slightly.

It was no doubt heartening to some fans to hear Kosicke dismiss any kind of bizarre notions of an earth-shattering exit, but they were scarcely needed. There is no doubt around these parts. Just six months into a contract that runs until 2026, he’s going nowhere anytime soon.

In fact, who knows? Klopp might even reach another 400 Liverpool games before his time here is up.

That aside, the most difficult issue Klopp was forced to weigh up was just how heavily he would rotate at a time when his team were already through to the last 16 but up against arguably Europe's most in-form side at present.

With Tottenham to come in the Premier League on Sunday, there are certainly bigger fish to fry for the Reds boss this week, but large-scale chopping and changing could have led to a third defeat in four and while any loss here would have been entirely cosmetic, it would only have served to increase the scrutiny and the negativity swirling around this place just now.

As a result, Klopp made four changes in total as the excellent Ibrahima Konate returned at centre-back for just his second start of the season. Curtis Jones, Kostas Tsimikas and James Milner also started as the Reds manager opted against rotating too heavily for the Partenopei visit.

The first period was played at a decent tempo but with the kind of shortfall in intensity that would perhaps naturally be expected of two teams whose qualification was already secure.

Liverpool's best chance of the first half came when a counter-attack involving Mohamed Salah played in Thiago Alcantara, whose first-time effort was saved by Alex Meret.

Napoli thought they had the lead inside 10 minutes of the second half but Leo Ostigard's header was ruled out after what was surely one of the lengthiest VAR checks for offside this season.

That was the signal for the Anfield atmosphere to turn up several decibels and the players responded. Suddenly, passes were crisper, tackles were stronger and the screw was turned tighter. Then came the moment the game changed entirely: enter Darwin Nunez.

Nunez replaced Jones with less than 20 minutes on the clock and it was the Uruguayan who broke the deadlock in all but name with a header that was credited to Salah after the Egyptian had poked it back home following's Meret's palm from behind his goal line.

UEFA have officially credited the goal to Salah, meaning the No.11 has gone level with Steven Gerrard as the club's all-time leading scorer in Europe on 41, in half as many games.

Not to be overshadowed by the dubious goals panel, though, Nunez tapped in from Van Dijk's header with the last kick of the game to move up to seven in all competitions. It's a record that equals Fernando Torres' haul after his first 15 games for Liverpool and one that betters Sadio Mane, Luis Suarez and Michael Owen's respective returns at the same stage of their Anfield careers.

For all the cruel and frankly bizarre parodying and incessant hot-takes about Nunez’s Liverpool performances, he is going to score a lot of goals for this football club. The lazy attempts to form a narrative need to end here.

So Liverpool's name is in the hat for the last 16 and they will learn their fate on November 7 when the draw is made. The Champions League has been a welcome respite from what is becoming something of a warped domestic campaign but with continental proceedings done now until February, Klopp will have to address the alarming slump in games with Spurs and Southampton before the break for the World Cup.

Quite what is still possible for Liverpool on home shores is difficult to truly assess but for now their European targets remain in place. It's the small mercy of an exasperating three months.

READ NEXT

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.