Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp must make the brutal decision of deciding which of his stars to drop following the 7-0 thumping of Manchester United.
After Liverpool’s thrashing of Manchester United by a score of 7-0, manager Jurgen Klopp will have to make the difficult choice of which of his talents to bench in the team’s next game. It is quite doubtful that the same 11 players who started the Reds’ greatest performance of the season will line up against Bournemouth on Saturday. Klopp has repeatedly emphasized that his side must be rotated, and it is highly improbable that they will play against Bournemouth.
It was alleged that Klopp acted as if the victory over United on Sunday was no different than any other victory. This was demonstrated by the German player’s somewhat reserved celebration in front of the Kop end of Anfield Stadium when the game was over.
As a result of the victory, Liverpool is now only four points away from qualifying for the Champions League. The revitalized Reds are now in a position where they have a rҽal shot at qualifying for the most prestigious competition in Europe, which was previously unthinkable.
But, Liverpool is about to embark on a grueling stretch of games that will likely determine their fate at the end of May. Klopp is planning on making adjustments, some of which may irritate some players who played important roles in the club’s biggest-ever victory over the Red Devils.
The performance of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez against United was outstanding, as all three players managed to find the back of the net. Yet, Klopp has only seldom maintained continuity in his front three lineup across multiple games.
Roberto Firmino came off the bench to score the seventh goal for Liverpool at Anfield in the same week that he reportedly informed Jurgen Klopp of his wish to leave the club in the summer. The Brazilian forward, who scored twice against Bournemouth earlier in the season as part of his team’s 9-0 thrashing of the Cherries, has a chance to start this match.
Firmino has been Klopp’s first choice whenever he needs a player to fill the false-nine position for the better part of a decade. The veteran forward has demonstrated that he is capable of linking plays, and his performances are frequently the deciding factor in decisive victories over weaker competition.
In the event that Firmino starts, two-goal hero Gakpo might be substituted out. After a shaky start to his time at Anfield, the Dutchman finally looks to have found his footing, but with a match against Rҽal Madrid in the Champions League coming up the next week, he might benefit from some time off.
Following the forward’s comeback from ιnjury, Jurgen Klopp might also be tempted to start Diogo Jota in the match. After scoring twice versus United, Darwin Nunez could find himself on the substitute’s bench as a result of this.
The choices available to Klopp in the middle of the field continue to expand. At the weekend, it looked like Fabinho was back to his old self, while Harvey Elliott had a strong showing. In a move, eighteen-year-old Stefan Bajcetic was moved to the bench for the game against United, but he has a chance to play against Bournemouth.
It’s possible that Liverpool’s season may come down to a stretch of five games when they face Bournemouth, Madrid, Fulham, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Klopp is currently in the position of having to decide whether or not to keep the same team that just defeated United, or whether or not to disappoint several stars by moving them to the bench.
