TLW

German Football expert Raphael Honigstein says that January transfer signing Takumi Minamino will be the perfect complement to the world class forwards that Liverpool already have at their disposal.While the deal to sign the Japanese international Red Bull Salzburg is as good as done, Jurgen Klopp was still not willing to go into too many details after Liverpool's 2-1 win against Monterrey at the Club World Cup on Wednesday evening."“So, I cannot speak about it - sorry! You are too early.“It would have felt really good today to be honest if we could have brought him on. “He's not yet our player so we have to wait for that."But Honigstein, who is one of the pre-eminent observers when it comes to European Football gave a detailed description of what Minamino can bring to the Reds.Sky Sports reported Honigstein as saying:“ He's different because he's not comparable to any of the front three forwards they have at the moment.“Sadio Mane is very different from Mohamed Salah and Salah is very different from Roberto Firmino. Now you add a fourth guy and you can't really say he's going to be a replacement for X, Y or Z but what it does give you is just a bit more attacking quality."What Liverpool have seen over the last year or so was that whenever you bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain he perhaps doesn't quite have the impact as one of the front three. “ He's better in midfield and Xherdan Shaqiri, for all his deft skills, doesn't really do it consistently enough. “And unless you play Divock Origi through the middle it doesn't really work. Yes, you can swap him for Firmino, but not Mane or Salah.“So to have a fourth guy that you can rely on would really release the pressure on the other three rocket men up front and would allow Jurgen Klopp to rotate a little bit. "It makes a lot of sense to have the fourth guy.” Honigstein was a bit surprised at first that Liverpool did not make a move for Timo Werner who is one of the hottest strikers in World Football.However, he knows how Liverpool are also adept at finding gems in the market."I was probably expecting Liverpool to make a move for Timo Werner. He could have been the fourth guy, but it didn't happen."Minamino is a lot cheaper but perhaps also has more value in terms of the improvement and the places he can go."Again, Liverpool have learned as a club that you don't buy the finished article for £100m. "You buy that's going to be worth £50m, £60m or £100m three years down the line thanks to good coaching and thanks to playing in a team that works, and that's really the key behind their recent successes.“In Premier League terms, Minamino's release clause is almost a free transfer. It's less than £10m and you don't get anyone inside the Premier league for that kind of money.“Even when you look at Germany or France it's incredibly cheap so even if it doesn't work out for some reason it still wouldn't be a problem because you'd get your money back. "It's a no-brainer of a deal in financial terms." View full article

Liverpool may be riding high on top of the Premier League table but just like any good team, they are looking at areas where they can improve.One of the areas for debate in the past 12 months has been cover at the left-back position.Andy Robertson is undisputedly one of the best left backs in World Football, but just as any footballer who produces the power of work that the Scottish captain does on a game to game basis, a occasional break is required so burnout does not become a issue.The ever-reliable James Milner has been deployed in that position, while youngsters Adam Lewis and Yasser Larouci are seen to be long term prospects.But if a recent report is to be believed, Liverpool will be bringing another option to the club in 19 year old-Coventry player Sam McCallum. A number of Liverpool’s main Premier League rivals including Man City, Leicester and Chelsea were all keeping tabs on the talented youngster.But the Birmingham Mail reports( via 90min.com) that the Reds are set to win the race for McCallum before loaning him back to the League One side for the rest of the season.He has already more than doubled the amount of appearances that he made for Coventry last season (19-8) and some of strengths lie in his discipline in defence and his ability to bring the ball forward with confidence.But it hasn’t been the traditional road to get to this stage for the young left-back as he came to Coventry from non-league side Herne Bay.Someone who has had a lot to do with his development is Coventry First team Technical coach Jason Farndon who said he has “got the lot” in terms of a modern day full-back.Farndon also said McCallum can be a role model for those coming through the road less travelled.“Yes, for any young left-back in the country, I’d suggest, that’s playing non-league football and maybe thinks they haven’t had the chance they deserve.“ Sam has come in and worked ultra hard and been brilliant really.“ He’s highly intelligent so he takes information on board and everything you ask him to do he does to the best of his ability. "And if he doesn’t know what it is he asks questions, and is not afraid to ask questions.“ But he just works really hard and wants to be the best he can be.“It’s an exciting time to see what he does in his career.”With Coventry manager Mark Robins virtually consigned to the thought of losing McCallum to a “big Premier League team", that next step could well be at Melwood. View full article

Jürgen Klopp says that the introduction of VAR into the Premier League has changed his touchline behaviour.Once again it was the Video replay system that took its share of headlines after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Watford.Sadio Mane had a game chalked off for offside in the second half when he headed home a pin-point cross from Xherdan Shaqiri.Speaking after the game Klopp said the current situation is one of confusion for all involved.Sky Sports reported the manager as saying:“I don't celebrate goals anymore because you have to wait until somebody says it is a goal.“I had no clue where it was offside, to be honest.“I thought there was one pass before where maybe it was offside, but that Sadio was offside, I couldn't see."One thing where Klopp was unequivocal was the report saying that the European Clubs Association want extra games in the Champions League with each team playing 10 games against 10 different opponents and FA Cup replays scrapped.“ I read an article today that the top clubs want more games in the Champions League - I'm not involved in these plans, so that's absolute b******s as well“We can talk about everything, but we have to cut off games, not put more in. “We are quite positive about doing what we do, but it's clear we need each point we can get, because it is a tough and long season."Klopp clearly wanted to get a few things off his chest in the post match press conference and next on his list was the Club World Cup championship.Not the fact that it is taking place, but the way the tournament is structured.“ I think it is raining there, which doesn't help the one pitch we are all on… it is sensationally well organised! "Where all the games are on one pitch and it is raining there, I'm not sure if people in Qatar are really used to a lot of rain. "We will see how the pitch will be. "That's a bit of a problem. “The fixtures are like they are, you all like watching us suffering, that's how it is, you look concerned but in the end nobody really cares, that's how we have to deal with it."There was one piece of bad news coming from the victory which was decided by two pieces of Mo Salah brilliance when Gini Wijnaldum was taken off midway through the second half with a leg injury. Klopp confirmed it was a muscle injury but could not give any more details than that."It's muscle. I don't know anything else. [Whether he can travel to Qatar] is actually in the moment one of my smallest concerns - he could probably fly - but my problem is more what exactly the injury is and I don't know that yet.“It's a muscle thing and you never want to have a muscle injury. “But in these moments it always makes it immediately more difficult, but it's not only us, all other teams have the same problems. “We have to deal with these situations, that's clear.” View full article

Man City midfielder Rodri has played against his fair share of quality teams in his career to date but according to the 23 year-old, Liverpool stand out above all others.The Spanish international who came through the ranks at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, is currently in his first season in English Football, but he has seen enough for of the European Champions to be mightily impressed.The Echo(via Goal) reported Rodri as saying“On an individual basis I can say that Liverpool are the best team I have faced.“They dominate at both ends of the field, they are very aggressive.“ They dominate the lines well and that makes them a fearsome team.But despite sitting 14 points behind the Reds on the table, the holding midfielder believes that there is still hope for the reigning champions. “They are very good, but anyone can beat them, so we are going to fight until the end.“If we focus on Liverpool too much, we are wrong. “We would be better looking at ourselves and play as we did at Atletico under Simeone, game by game.“You can't stop competing and that's what [Pep] Guardiola instils in us every day, that every game is a final." This mindset was in stark contrast to his teammate Ilkay Gundogan who virtually raised the white flag earlier in the week.“It's so far and a difficult season for us. There's already a huge gap in the Premier League between Liverpool and us. “We can't deny that the title race is already over for us. “We have to compete for the Champions League again next season and that's disappointing to be honest. (It's) so early in the season to have such a huge gap and is not something we are used to.“ No-one says if you are not successful in the Premier League then you can't be successful in the Champions League. “I think in the Champions League there are still all chances open."No matter what thought process and potential mind games that come from the Blue side of Manchester, don’t expect Jürgen Klopp and his players to be caught up in it. View full article

James Milner has put any doubt to rest regarding his future at Liverpool after signing a deal that will see the popular veteran remain at the club until 2022.On a landmark day for the club that also saw Jürgen Klopp commit his long term to the club, a delighted Milner said being at the club is a true joy in his life.The Official site reported Milner as saying:“I’ve been lucky and privileged to play for this club for four-and-a-half years now, it has been an amazing time seeing how the club is changing and developing.“I just enjoy coming into training every day, working with this group of players, this manager and coaching staff, and being part of this football club."Liverpool is an unbelievable place to be and we’re a very, very good football team and hopefully we can keep improving.“ There’s a long, long way to go now, we know that, no-one is getting ahead of themselves. Again, that’s a massive strength of the squad, we take it a game at a time and concentrate on one at a time.The versatile 33 year-old said that despite talk of moving to his boyhood club Leeds, he was intent on playing at the elite level for as long as possible. “We had discussions with the club and this was obviously the ideal for me, this was what I wanted to do – stay and play at the highest level as long as I can.Displaying his well known dry wit, Milner said his manager made sure the time was right to sign his own contract.“Obviously the gaffer waited to sign his dependent on whether I signed mine, so that makes me a feel bit more important!” Naturally, Klopp was delighted to see one of his senior players sign on the dotted line.The Echo reported the manager as saying:“ I remember I said in the summer I had not had the pleasure of working with many players like James Milner before in my career - and I am so pleased I will continue to get the chance to work with him for the next few years.“It is great news for Liverpool FC to have a player of - first and foremost - his qualities and attitude, but also, of course, his experience, here among our squad for the future.“ He is our vice-captain and obviously one of the big leaders in our squad. “He is just as important to us off the pitch in the dressing room as he is on the field, and that tells you everything as he is a big, big player for us. “He is a big voice in the dressing room and someone all of the players look up to and respect."While the veteran is a leader on the pitch, Klopp remembered a story from last season which illustrated the importance of Milner away from the bright lights.“One of the best examples of this is how he was on the morning of the Barcelona game at Anfield when he arrived at Melwood – as soon as he walked through the door that day, he was pushing everyone around him and motivating them and I loved it.“And one of my favourite things about Millie, of which there are many, is he is genuinely still improving all the time as a player.“He has an outstanding attitude: towards football, towards looking after himself and towards looking after others. “He is an outstanding footballer and we all believe he still has a lot left to give, which is why this deal makes so much sense for all.” View full article

Andy Robertson has confidently claimed that no team would want to play Liverpool in the knockout stages of the Champions League.No team has a better record in the competition over the last two years than the Reds as they finished runner/up to Real Madrid in 2017/8 and then going one better last season against Tottenham.It is that statistical fact that Robertson knows will play on the mind of their opponents when we reach the crunch games of the competition.Sky Sports reported the left-back as saying:“We respect every opponent we play but we know the way we have done things in the last two years and nobody wants to play against us and that is clear - but it is up to us to keep proving that.“We cannot rely on that and we need to keep proving why people don't want to play against us but, so far, we have done that.“ We will wait for the draw and see who we get in the last 16. “We know it will be tough regardless but we look forward to the challenge as we want to go far in this tournament again." Along with the overall quality of the Liverpool side, it is also the level of respect which Robertson says has been well earned across Europe.“That is the atmosphere we have created in the last two years, a team which has been to the final twice and has obviously lost one and won one and we are respected in this tournament.“ Maybe the first season when we went to the final, I don't think we were really respected until maybe after the quarter-final when we went to Porto and washed them away.“ We did not get the respect we deserved. “Now, we know we are respected in Europe. "No one will want us but everyone who gets into the last 16 will fancy themselves."But Robertson says that they are no longer the underdogs and have a big target on their back.“We know that now, we are the champions and everyone wants to beat us.“ That is what we have to deal with and hopefully we can deal with it well. “But there are about 40 games between now and the last 16 (in February) - so we will worry about that when the time comes."Robertson also paid tribute to midfielder Naby Keita who has been a star performer of late.“Our squad is full of quality and unfortunately for Naby this season, he has picked up an injury which has kept him out a bit and he came back and the midfield has done so well.“But he has had an opportunity in the last two games and he has been excellent. He has added to our options and that is what we need to create.“Naby replicates what this team is about. He was the man of the match on Saturday and again (against Salzburg) he was excellent. "Long may that continue." View full article

Virgil Van Dijk says Liverpool were prepared for a stern test of their credentials when they came up against the free-flowing RB Salzburg side on Tuesday night.After surviving a storming fight back from the Austrian outfit in their game at Anfield two months ago, they knew that they were facing a team who do not fear anyone.Speaking after the game to the Official site after the 2-0 victory which sealed Liverpool’s passage to the knockout stages, Van Dijk was proud with the way his team came through.“We had to be ready - and ready for a very tough night because they are a good side.“They play a little bit similar to what we try to do, direct and try to get in behind the defence and stretch them. They did well.“We had to be ready and we dealt with it and then obviously at the end of the first half we had the opportunities to score for 1-0, maybe 2-0 with Naby but unfortunately we didn't do that.“In the second half we were very mature and played a great second half."Despite the scores locked at 0-0 at the half time interval, it was a first half full of captivating and free flowing Football.With the game still on a knife-edge, Van Dijk said it was all about showing their quality when it truly mattered.“The belief is always there but you have to show how much you really want it."I think especially the second half we can look back good on. “The goals we scored were very good, the whole second half I think everyone looked comfortable.“Obviously at times they broke on us and that's the quality they have as well and you have to give them credit for that, too, and we dealt with it pretty well." Van Dijk was clearly delighted for Naby Keita who opened the scoring against his former side and hoped it was the start of something special for the 24 year-old midfielder."It was a big night for him and I'm very happy for him to be that important and hopefully he can keep being important like the rest of the boys.“He's a very good player and we all can see that and today he showed it with the goal as well."The talismanic defender poked fun at the profligacy of Mo Salah on the evening, saying it was all part of his plan to keep the fans on the edge of their seats.“He could have made it a little bit easier for us tonight! "I told him that as well, that he tried to make it a little bit more excited for the crowd maybe.“He missed a chance in the first half, a big one, but you see his goal in the second half and that's the quality he has got, like the rest of the players.But Van Dijk saved his highest praise for his captain in Jordan Henderson.He is a fantastic player, a fantastic captain and everyone is looking up to him and he is very important for us,"“Like him, we have everyone that we need, and today he was very important with the assist and also in the game as well." View full article

Jürgen Klopp has hailed the resilience and intelligence of his side after Liverpool passed a searching test against RB Salzburg on Tuesday.Two goals in as many minutes just before the hour mark by Naby Keita and a brilliant Mo Salah finish were enough for the Reds to progress to the knockout stages.While the result may look routine in the record books in the years ahead, it was anything but as the visitors had to be at their defensive best to keep a clean sheet against their high octane opponents.What would have undoubtedly impressed Klopp the most was that his side were able to get the job done once again in a pressurised situation.A loss in this fixture would have meant Europa League duty, which would have been a massive blow to confidence within the squad.But the mentality that this team has been built upon came to the fore and Klopp told the assembled media pack afterwards about the pride he felt, as well as paying a glowing tribute to their opponents. The Mirror reported the manager as saying:“I couldn't have more respect for what Salzburg are doing. "You see how good they are, how good they were in the first game, how good they were against Napoli.“You could come here as current Champions League winners and misunderstand it. "But my team is so smart, and I really love it that they listen and put a shift in like that.“ Salzburg were unbelievably strong especially in the first half but we were as well and were ready for the fight. “We should have scored in the first half and then in the second half, it's not easy to keep that intensity but we scored the goals.”Salah had what you could describe as a mixed evening at the office.He was unusually wasteful in front of goal, but made up for that with a goal from an incredibly acute angle which only the very best of players could even contemplate of scoring. "How do I explain it? Thank God I don't have to! It was for sure the most difficult situation he had tonight.“He played really well but didn't score in the situations we expect him to score, staying on track and making such a decisive but difficult finish says probably much more about him than all the other goals he scored.“He stayed concentrated, believed in the next moment and it was a very, very good goal. A sensational finish.” View full article

Jürgen Klopp has ruled out signing another central defender in the January transfer window.The Reds are blessed to have remarkably good depth in the key defensive post and despite some injuries of late, the manager is sure he can offset their loss.Joel Matip who had been the incumbent alongside Virgil Van Dijk has missed the last six weeks with a knee injury.Such is the depth in that position, that current English international Joe Gomez has struggled for game-time in his natural position due to the consistent form of Matip and more recently Dejan Lovren.The Croatian came off in the first half against Bournemouth but travelled with the squad for the all-important final Champions League group clash against Red Bull Salzburg this evening.The Echo reported Klopp speaking on the matter:“How can you be short of centre halves when you have four centre halves plus Fabinho? “Only Fabinho is injured, Matip is injured and Dejan Lovren had a problem, yes.“ We will not sign a centre half because of injuries - that is the world outside who thinks we are short and we have to do it - but afterwards we would have six centre halves and that wouldn’t make a lot of sense.“And you need quality. "You can’t have just somebody [for the sake of it] - I am somebody, I am tall, not quick, but I look like a centre half at least. The manager dispelled any doubts on the fitness of Lovren.“Yes I am absolutely concerned [about injuries], but Lovren is not injured. It was a little bit of cramp, and the right moment to take him off, but it is cool, everybody is fine.We spoke about squad depth, but we had 16 adult players against Everton, 14 adult players against Bournemouth - it’s not that we think we have no clue how to make a squad at the moment.“How can I tell the boys they are not involved in the squad? "We have no problem, there is nobody there I have to explain it to. But yes it is all good, but not perfect."Klopp also touched on the current status of Adam Lallana, Fabinho and Matip. “ Adam is not coming (to Salzburg) but will be back in training on Thursday. “Under pressure we probably could have used him, but we didn’t want to make pressure. "How I said, it’s a small thing.But the news seems more uncertain in regards to the Brazilian midfielder and Cameroon international defender. “The only thing that is clear at this stage is that neither will play a part over the hectic festive period. “There is no pressure from my side. “It’s clear they will not be in before Christmas - not this year, actually. “So why should we ask every five seconds if there’s some improvement or not?“I know everybody involved is doing whatever they can. “There will be a moment when somebody comes to me and tells me, ‘One week for him, two weeks for him’ and I’ll start telling you." View full article

Jürgen Klopp says that he always believed that the qualities of Naby Keita would come to the fore after the midfielder scored in his first league start of the season against Bournemouth on Saturday.Just like in his first season for the club, it has been a frustrating time for the Guinea international who has battled injury along with trying to find a spot in the very competitive Liverpool midfield.December was always going to be a challenging month for the European champions with a jam packed fixture list and therefore plenty of opportunities for fringe players to show their worth.For the 24 year-old, that time came on the weekend where he was at his confident best, combining with Mo Salah on two occasions which sealed a very comfortable win.Klopp is well known as a manager who not only has confidence in his players, but a great deal of patience too.Basically if you are willing to put in the hard work, your time will come.The Echo reported the thought process of Klopp.He’s just been unlucky and in life you need luck always.“He started really well Everyone forgot that and then he got injured and we’ve had two really good seasons.“When you see a player like this, you ask why is he not playing week in, week out. Naby had injuries and then the team was in a really good shape so do you change?“It’s not like when something’s working, you squeeze five more percent of the performance with another player." Klopp also confirmed that there had been discussions between the pair.“ Naby’s not been playing, I get that.“So we stayed in contact and spoke a lot about it and in the end a player needs to have this evidence that his manager still believes in him.“I was never in doubt about him and today has helped a lot, it’s really nice. Sometimes you have to talk to players.“The boys got more and more used to each other, but then another injury came and he started again.“This year, he wasn’t 100 percent when he started pre-season, but I was never in doubt about quality.” View full article

Liverpool veteran James Milner is keeping all options on the table as he moves into the final phase of what has been a illustrious career.The versatile 33 year-old is out of contract in the summer and able to sign a pre-contract deal with foreign clubs from next month.There has been a great deal of discussions between the club and the player himself and both parties have illustrated a desire to get a deal done.But to this point, there is no good news on that front.It has led to speculation that Milner could well end his career where it all began for him 17 years ago at his boyhood club Leeds United.Leeds who fell heartbreaking close to a Premier League return last season are currently having a strong campaign, currently sitting second, two points off West Brom and five points clear of Fulham in third..The Echo (via The Sportsman) reported that Milner still follows them with a deal of interest.“ I’m a fan. I always follow the team and the results. “So you can never say no or even yes because just so much changes in football, you never know what happens.“At the moment I’m a Champions League winner with Liverpool and this year we’re really going for the Premier League, but I don’t know what the future will hold.“It would be amazing to play for Leeds again but no one from the club has ever contacted me about that. "People talk about my age and that I’m getting on, and could I continue after Liverpool, but I don’t think I’m typical physically for my age" The fitness fanatic who has made 19 appearances for the Reds this season and 196 in all for the club says he is also happy to head abroad for a new footballing adventure.“ I’m open to anything, I’d be interested in going abroad and experiencing a new league, a new style of football, new lifestyle too, but that all just depends on where it is and also on my family too.But while football punditry is the pretty stock-standard gig for former players and sacked managers, don’t expect the universally admired midfielder to follow suite saying he has got plenty to pass on to the next generation.“I think I’d be more interested in coaching than the media side. “ I see people going into punditry all the time but I think, in terms of who I’ve played for and with and what I’ve learnt as a player, it would be a shame not to pass that on within football to young players.“Then again you see coaches and managers that are doing well for a time and then it doesn’t go so well and the amount of stick they then get week-in, week-out." View full article

Jurgen Klopp says that Liverpool could buy a player in the January transfer market if they release Rhian Brewster on loan.While the club is keen to release the 19-year old for the second half of the season, they are adamant that it must be to a club who are willing to give him the type of minutes that can benefit his game.Brewster became part of the senior squad in the summer after fully recovering from a long term ankle injury, but so far he has been consigned to Carabao Cup duty.While Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Championship side Swansea have been linked, there has been no firm decision as yet.But speaking in his Bournemouth pre-match press conference, The Reds manager alluded to the fact that he wouldn’t want to leave his squad short in the striking department. The Echo reported Klopp as saying:Yes, we have to see. We can't just give the boys [away] on loan because we have built this squad.“ We have three long-term injuries and four with Paul Glatzel, two of them were pre-season. Two came later with Joel (Matip) and Fabinho.“That gives us a 16-player squad and I count the kids, but we cannot only give players on loan and think it is good for him, we always have to consider both situations.“The boys and ours, and in the end, we try to make the perfect solution. Sometimes it works out, others it does not."Klopp believes that the long term injury suffered by Brewster could have put back his development. "Maybe Rhian is the one, age-wise, experience-wise, if he had not been injured, he would already have been on a different level, but that is the situation and we constantly think of the situation for the boys.“ He is very young, but still a bit advanced, but I don't know, we don't make decisions right now. "If we do [loan him] then it 100 per cent needs to be the right club.“They have all made steps here without playing Championship football week in and week out. "They have all made massive steps here and Rhian's was delayed because of that big injury he had.“Neco (Williams), Curtis (Jones) and Harvey (Elliott) have made massive steps here without playing week in and week out. No decision has been made yet [on the loan]."One young Reds star who has thrived on loan over the past few years is Harry Wilson.Currently at Bournemouth, the Welsh international is ineligible for the clash with his parent club today.But Klopp has seen enough to say that he can make the grade if he continues to progress at the rate he has. " Can he succeed? Of course, that's why we loaned him so he can make the steps.“It would have been difficult for Harry and I would have loved to have had him here if we had another choice, especially when Shaq (Xherdan Shaqiri) was injured, you want to have these kinds of players, but that is not the moment to decide.“All the players we sent on loan have the chance to make it in the first team otherwise we would have sold them. His shooting is world class, that is how it is.“Find me five players who shoot better than him, that is obvious, but the game is more and that is what he has to improve and that is clear. “ But to be involved as an offensive player you have to connect with other players.“He has that, it is not like he doesn't, but to get to the next level, he needs game-time at the highest level and that is why we loaned him to Bournemouth." View full article

A bullish Xherdan Shaqiri has said that he is ready for more game time after his star showing against Everton in the Reds 5-2 victory on Wednesday evening.The Swiss star was a surprise selection in the starting lineup especially when you take into account that he had not started a league game since the end of January and his last start in all competitions came on that memorable night on the 7th of May against Barcelona.Before Wednesday night, Shaqiri played a grand total of 25 minutes in all competitions with his longest run-out coming in the Community Shield against Man City.A long running battle with a calf injury has been the main reason for his lack of regular first-team action during this campaign, but after scoring his first goal in nearly a year and displaying his sublime skill, Shaq has made it known to all concerned including his manager that he is well and truly back.The Echo reported the popular utility player as saying:“ I’m ready, I think the coach saw that too in training,""I trained very well and today he gave me the chance and I think I played very well.“ At the end of the day it’s important to win games with my team, we won it as a team, and obviously when I can contribute it’s always good. “Let’s hope for more games!" Shaqiri said despite the lack of minutes, rust was never a issue and he felt at home on the pitch. “ You know me and how I play, so it’s nothing new!“I’m an instinctive footballer, so I like to play good football if I feel good. I felt good so I tried some things and it went well.“ I was very happy to score after a long time. It was a good feeling."While the injury was undoubtedly a frustrating time for the 28 year-old, he counted his blessings that it was not something more serious like a ligament injury.“ I’ve been injured [but] thank God I don’t have knee problems or something. I had some muscle problems so I just needed a few weeks to recover well.“The calf is very dangerous to get another injury and I had this so obviously it was not nice but I stayed positive and tried to come back. “I worked very hard in the gym and with the fitness coaches to come back and be ready when the coach needs me. I’m feeling good."Shaqiri was a player that Jürgen Klopp turned to around this time last season and he certainly did not let his manager down turning in some special performances against Man United and Arsenal in particular.He is well aware of the jam packed fixture list during this month and says it is great to be option for his manager again."Everybody knows that it’s a busy period now with a lot of games coming up, [so] I’m very happy to be back. I’m feeling fresh, feeling good, and I think you saw that.“We know each other very well, we train every day together, the team stays like last season even when the coach makes some changes - five changes, I think.“He changed the formation a little bit so it was not simple but we managed that very well today against a good side." [It’s] a derby obviously so we wanted to keep the city red, so it was a very important win." View full article