Klopp on Palace win, Van Dijk, Alisson, transfers and more
Jürgen Klopp saw room for improvement as Liverpool secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Reds made it back-to-back wins at the start of the Premier League season on Monday, with goals late in either half by James Milner - who netted from the penalty spot - and Sadio Mane proving pivotal.
However, while expressing his satisfaction at collecting another three points by scoring in ‘two very decisive moments’, the boss believed his team to be some way short of their scintillating best.
Klopp also analysed the displays of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker post-match, as well as speaking on the possibility of further transfer outgoings this month and more.
Read on for a transcript of the manager’s press conference…
On Liverpool’s performance and the result…
I thought we could have done better, but yes we expected Palace to be that strong and clear in their approach against us, playing a big number of long balls. [Wayne] Hennessey when I saw it before the game warming up, I thought ‘wow, that’s really difficult!’ In the game they were not that long, but they were long enough. I don’t know a lot of defenders in the world that can defend Christian Benteke in nearly 100 per cent of the situations, clear without a foul. It was very important that Virgil was there and that kind of presence, but still the ball drops and then it’s a second ball. That was their plan as well, so it is difficult to be 100 per cent clear in these situations.
Watch: The best of the action at Selhurst Park
Defensively it was absolutely OK, [but] I was not too happy with our offensive play. The rhythm was not good, timing was not good, both full-backs need to be involved much more and open up their game a little bit so we really have different options. They shouldn’t be our No.10s but they are an option, so that was not too cool. Around the [opponent’s] goal, we had three or four situations, good passes in small spaces around the box and in the box. We were unlucky and then there was the penalty situation. I didn’t see it back; in the game it looked like [a penalty], but I cannot say more about it. We had the penalty, Millie scored in the best minute of the first half - and exactly the same in the second half.
Match report: Milner and Mane strike to beat Palace>>>
On Mohamed Salah’s performance…
I didn’t ask Mo about it [the penalty]. I have nothing to say about individual performances. Mo Salah can play much better, that’s 100 per cent, but he was really involved in both goals - decisively involved, so that’s two assists kind of, so I am completely fine with that and it’s all good. We have to play as a team. We can play as a team much better and that means immediately he is involved in that and that is all good. 2-0, all cool.
On the importance of winning a game like tonight’s…
I am not sure, I think we won all of the games [I’ve managed] here but I know it’s really difficult. Really difficult. Wow. The crowd is outstanding, and especially with the penalty after 44 minutes it was clear when we came out after half-time the welcome would be pretty loud and not too friendly. Crystal Palace wanted to strike back, so that was all clear. This is a wonderful place to play football.
On Van Dijk’s display...
It was really, really good. It’s obvious. Quality costs a specific price, it’s with cars like that, with a lot of things like that and with players as well, that’s why we paid it [the fee for Van Dijk]. Nobody thinks about it anymore and that’s good because he’s a player in this market, in the moment, he’s at least worth it. We don’t know what will happen in the future [with transfer fees], but it’s not important to us. He loves playing with these boys and that’s the most important thing for me.
On Alisson’s away Premier League debut…
The free-kick save was outstanding… it was quite impressive and I think the header from Benteke as well [was a good save]. Apart from that, around each set-piece, Crystal Palace blocks the goalkeeper and Van Dijk and both were most decisive in these situations so both worked somehow through that forest of a lot of people and had then the ball, so that was all good. But it was not a brilliant football game from us and we don’t have to make it bigger than it is. We won it because we scored in two very decisive moments. That’s good. It’s for us a big step because if you watch us a little bit more often you know that when we are not brilliant we usually lose! And today we were not brilliant but we still won. That is nice. Not completely new, but at least not often an experienced situation for me.
On potential outgoing transfers…
Nobody has told me anything [that] any transfer situation is decided.