ReactionJürgen Klopp press conference: Southampton win, the 'week of the Academy' and more

Lewis Koumas and Jayden Danns, both 18 years old, were on the scoresheet at Anfield in the fifth-round tie to set up a trip to Manchester United in the next stage of the competition.

Koumas marked his senior debut by scoring the opening goal in the 44th minute, before substitute Danns made sure of progression with a pair of second-half finishes in front of the Kop.

Read a summary of Klopp's post-match press conference…

On how he reflects on a good night's work for Liverpool and the youngsters...

To win the game against a Southampton team who we would have had problems with anyway, but in our specific situation it was absolutely clear... we tried to give as much information, but not too much because of the characteristics of the team, of the line-up, to them. We had to improve during the game. So, I would say the last line is a settled last line – the goalie, Caoimh [Kelleher], we know how good he is, but then Joey [Gomez] on No.6, two 19-year-olds on No.8, an 18-year-old on the left wing and then Cody [Gakpo] and Harvey [Elliott], who in other circumstances would never have played. Harvey played 120 minutes a few days ago! So, what these two boys did there is absolutely incredible.

The first 15 minutes, I don't know exactly, we were all over the place. We tried to press because the boys know I want them to press, just the timing was horrendous. Southampton used that, Southampton had momentum, Southampton had big chances, Caoimh had to make saves, but step by step we found a way into the game. High press got better, midfield press not that early – for the midfield press I think we needed the half-time more, a little bit of luck and good defending in the last line. That's fine. Then obviously the goal we scored was nearly in the perfect moment. You need to ask Russell [Martin], the Southampton manager, but I think it felt a little bit like momentum changed. So, they had it, obviously, and we got a little bit of a foot into the game and then we scored this wonderful goal, which was an exceptional finish of Lewis.

So, an 18-year-old boy playing on the left wing against a senior player in a team with not a lot of patterns, let me say it like that, is tricky. But staying in the game for these moments just shows he is a real striker because the goal is exceptional, the step in and then he shoots before the goalie can really settle and stuff like this. A really good finish. We could adjust at half-time and then second half, the midfield press was much better, that helped, and we had now the momentum rather than Southampton. We won a lot of high balls and scored wonderful goals. The play was special, where we won the balls was special, everything was then special. Then obviously something like that, as impossible as it seems, can happen.

On the goals Danns scored…

The striking instincts, there is no doubt about that. There's no youth level where you don't have that. We have 10-year-olds with the striking instinct. And he showed in the final that he arrives in the right moment, so he was there three times in a final. Your second outing for your boyhood club and you arrive three times and with a bigger, longer toe, he probably scores already in a final. That he is there is cool, that the goals have the same size in the youth department is cool as well because that's why in a situation like that, chipping is really good. Unfortunately, I can tell you now already in his career he will miss chances as well, that will happen and probably in similar situations.

But for now, I cannot imagine how this week must feel for the boys. It feels pretty good for me but I know about all the problems we have around as well. They don't have to care about that, so they can just fly and they deserve that. It's the week of the Academy and I'm so happy to mention them again, just because it's exceptional. We should not forget Trey Nyoni came on tonight – that looked promising as well. Not in the squad because [they are] injured, Ben Doak, who had already a few really good games for us, and Stefan Bajcetic, same age group. There is a lot to come. Conor [Bradley] we don't mention anymore in these circumstances, [Jarell] Quansah we don't mention anymore in these circumstances. It's pretty special what's happening.

It's really difficult because we unfortunately have too many games for not enough players. But so far we found somehow a solution and we have to keep doing that. We have to create when we play here an atmosphere which is super-special. The people thankfully did that again, I loved it. It was not a game in the first half where you can be ecstatic all the time but the support we got, the feeling the people created is positive. It was super-class, I loved it really. And second half was easier to go for it and then we did that and it was top. And in away games, whoever comes with us needs to try to push from a corner or wherever in the stadium to do that because it's trickier. We will see who can play on Saturday – that's unfortunately really not a lot of time. They [Nottingham Forest] played tonight as well, I know, so let's see.

On whether he knows if Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai can return at the weekend...

I don't know.

On Danns...

I understand 100 per cent but it's a little bit like with the new darts sensation. It's fine for tonight, absolutely, but from tomorrow on leave the boys in the corner please and don't ask where are they now, where are they now, where are they now. They have a lot to improve, a lot to learn. They will have their moments and in the moment, with our squad situation, they will have more moments than they ever have expected probably, so that's one thing. The other is they're exceptional talents. Of course it's not natural that a boy, 18 years old, comes in that situation and he's just calm as you like and chips the balls there. The second goal I would have expected from him because he has that in him – that he really arrives there in these moments. He saw when Conor shot, he was hoping and when Conor finished the situation he was hoping that the goalie can save it.

Yes, it's exceptional but we said a couple of times that the future doesn't look that bad. Don't forget it in the moment when the transfer window opens that there are a couple of pretty promising players already here. Don't close the door for them with 12 signings or whatever. But Joe Gomez saved our lives until now 20 times and the kids kept us in the competition. So, we can talk about the boys for the next four hours if you want but the real story today, besides the goals, is actually Joe Gomez. For the first time on that position, in the middle of the park with chaos around him because nothing was settled, I couldn't respect it more.

On creating a healthy environment for youngsters to thrive in...

We were not involved in the timing, to be honest, too much because we had to use them because we don't have other players. I would like to say we waited five years and I saw them first time when they were 13 and I said, 'In February 2024, we will bring them.' We have a very, very good and a very close relationship with the Academy for the obvious reasons, you all know that – Vitor Matos. Alex [Inglethorpe], Barry [Lewtas], Marc [Bridge-Wilkinson], we have a really close relationship, we actually work in the same building, just on different sides.

The way Liverpool wants to play is clear as well. On a specific day a few years ago, it was probably set up by me but the club needs to agree on that. I cannot stand in the Academy every day on the training pitch and say we do that in training. Everybody bought into that. It's the best news because it's not about how you play, because there might be different styles, different ways, but you have to make sure that these exceptional talents understand that a football game starts with defending. They are all talented, otherwise they would not play for Liverpool. But in the youth department, it's a little bit like that you can really be much better than the opponent – that doesn't happen that often in adult football, to be honest, and you have to be ready for that.

And I saw that today that the boys make really big steps. With Trey, you can see there's absolutely no body, I don't know what his weight is, to be honest, but when he is on the ball, he is very mature – that's all cool. They have to develop a lot, pretty much everything, and they grow still. It's special. And, of course, it's for me strange as well, I never had that before – that you play with that many kids and still can win football games. It's a really interesting experience, to be honest. Close before the finishing line, I saw that as well, so I'm really thankful for that.

On Caoimhin Kelleher's form...

I love it. Said it before, said it last year, said it two years ago, said it very often actually that he's an exceptional goalkeeper but goalkeepers need rhythm. There was the situation in the summer obviously. He's a confident boy, he knows he can play in other teams but there is Alisson Becker, the No.1. We gave him the Europa League games, I think that makes a real difference because it was Carabao Cup and the Europa League games, I don't know exactly how many that [is] – 10, 12 already? Then unfortunately Ali got injured, so he had to play and got the rhythm and now you can see what Caoimh is.

We had the goal against Fulham, I think, when the two goals he conceded, he looked a bit unlucky. I said after the game and I spoke to the goalie department, Ali as well, that's a problem of the way we want to be – so, front-footed, step into. When he stepped in, Harry Wilson was there with the toe, ball goes through and everybody says, 'He's not a good goalie.' He's an exceptional goalie but even they make mistakes from time to time. Thank God he didn't make one tonight because that kept us in the game – both games. Call it the Caoimhin Kelleher games because without him in that shape and Ali injured, we wouldn't have won the Carabao Cup and wouldn't have won tonight. That's the goalie's job as well.