Jürgen Klopp on Plymouth draw, Joe Gomez and youngest XI
Jürgen Klopp refused to be downhearted after Liverpool failed to find a way past Plymouth Argyle in their FA Cup third-round tie at Anfield.
The Reds were frustrated in their efforts to produce a breakthrough against the League Two visitors - and the goalless draw means the sides must therefore meet again to decide who progresses to round four.
After the game, Klopp spoke to reporters at the stadium about the display, the long-awaited return of Joe Gomez and the line-up he selected.
Here is a summary of the post-match press conference...
On Plymouth’s performance...
It was a very disciplined performance and good. We knew that before. We made the analysis – they are a good side. We played differently [to Plymouth’s other opponents]. It was not for one second an open game. It was a very dominant game from my side, [but] with no real chances. One or two shots, that’s normal the longer the game is. But they did everything they had to do to deserve a rematch. Now we have it, yippee! Plymouth is a good place to go. It’s my responsibility, the whole thing – the line-up and performance. We could have done better, 100 per cent. It was really difficult because in the first half, when we had fresh legs and were clear in mind, we started well but then we lost patience too early. That’s how it is: crossing in the wrong moment, not crossing in the wrong moment, passing not really convinced, more an opportunity than a real offer, all that stuff. We had these situations. We were a little bit unlucky in one or two situations, good goalkeeper saves and then it’s 0-0. So, not too cool but not the worst thing in the world. And, of course, deserved for Plymouth.
LFCTV GO: Klopp's post-match verdict on Plymouth draw
On whether a different line-up will face Southampton…
That’s only in a few days. More experience? I have no idea, but probably yes. [It’s] pretty likely.
On Gomez’s return to action…
It was wonderful, but I don’t think it was the most difficult game of his whole life! He did well, he is an outstanding talent, no doubt. It was a real job to do, a few physical fights and then afterwards a complete change from a big strong guy and the small and quick boy came on the pitch. There were a lot of good things – I know nobody wants to hear this now, it’s clear because we are Liverpool and we drew with Plymouth, but football is like this and we tried. Even when it didn’t look all the time like this, better decision-making in a few situations and we are completely through. A little bit earlier in this, a little bit more waiting in that – that’s how football is. The biggest challenge in football is to play a deep defending side. Maybe Plymouth in this moment are happy about the result – they deserved the rematch, but I don’t know if they can play at home exactly with the same defensive style. Probably they can, we will see. The crowd was nice with 8,600 from Plymouth. We are looking forward to it. I tried something today and maybe I will try it again, we will see.
On whether making 10 changes to the starting line-up was a mistake in hindsight…
I don’t think the line-up was a mistake, but you can see it like this if you want. We made mistakes in the game and always with the boys, the good things they are responsible for and the bad things I am responsible for. If you want to see it [the result] in a bad way then I am 100 per cent responsible, I have no problem with that. I will take it even if they had scored a goal in the last minute. I always choose line-ups to win the game and I accept that it was not to see in all situations today, but in a lot of them it was. It’s really important for us, having games like this where we really have to fight for the result with a different line-up. There is a long season still to go and we need to change. If you make that many changes, it doesn’t make it easier for the boys – I know this – but they need this experience and now they have it so we can go on.
On the Plymouth fans…
Nice. Unfortunately, pretty loud! I think they had a lot to celebrate but it was much more difficult for our crowd to celebrate a shot over the goal or something. It was cool.
On whether he expected Plymouth to attack more…
No. I don’t think they could – we had the ball all the time. With your own style, you create a few things in the game which you have to expect but there was more space than it looked like. Those were the moments when we lost the game, if you want, because we could have [done] things differently. We always waited until Plymouth were back again and started again passing. It was boring, it was like this. I’m really happy that the Liverpool crowd didn’t leave the stadium after 60 minutes or something because it was not the most exciting game.
On the team being Liverpool’s youngest ever starting XI...
Was it? With Lucas in?! We didn’t think a second about it, honestly. We made the line-up because the boys deserved it and it looks in training like that. You can then always think, maybe leave this player in and leave that player in, but we had one or two problems in the last few weeks. [Players] had to play too often or too early. No player on the bench had an issue but, for example, Daniel [Sturridge] had three days no training; Adam [Lallana] played after injury almost immediately; Gini [Wijnaldum] played nearly everything. So for every player there was a reason why he should not be on the pitch. Emre [Can] had a few injury problems but that’s why he played a little bit less a few weeks ago so, for him, it was good. At the end, it was that line-up, and all the boys deserved it. We didn’t think a second about the age, they are important players in our squad and that’s why we used them.