Jurgen Klopp apologized to one of his Liverpool players for not giving him “more game time sooner”.
The Reds defeated Fulham 2-1 at Anfield last night but were forced to work hard for victory after Willian opened the scoring for the visitors inside 20 minutes.
Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo scored late for the Merseysiders to turn the game around and our German tactician sent an apology to the former after the match.
Scouser was also interviewed after the match and was quoted as saying he wants more playing time to show what he’s made of, comments Klopp overheard moments before completing his own interview.
“Curtis. [Jones] It’s super, super, super important to us, and he knows it. Coincidentally, I listened to his interview and the only thing I could think of was, “I need more playing time.” *laughs* I love it!” Klopp told the BBC (via Liverpool Offside).
“I’m so sorry, Curtis, for not giving you more playing time sooner.
“He has taken great steps. He looked like the fittest player on the entire field. He took a hit, I think a dead leg, he went down, but a second later, he turned around and scored.
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“A good footballer, very, very good, he always was… but using these skills, now he is for me, for him, for everyone, thank God, he does it consistently. That’s really cool. He made great strides in defensive aspects, which gives him a better feel for the game. Then suddenly he can show more of the quality of him.
“It’s a pleasure to have the kid around because he has that natural trust in the kid and he’s really cool.”
Jones has registered four goals and three assists this season (in all competitions) and is becoming a vital part of the team.
The 22-year-old’s ability has never been questioned, but this is a case of the England under-21 international becoming a more consistent player.
That’s exactly what he has become this season and although there was a huge dose of luck involved in his goal when the ball deflected off Tosin Adarabioyo, we were delighted to see his name on the scoresheet again.
With our injury problems in midfield and Wataru Endo’s involvement in the Asia Cup with Japan, the coming weeks will provide our number 17 with a brilliant opportunity to get regular game time; Let’s hope he can make the most of it.
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