Football
ESPN staff 8y

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool training leads to injuries - Graeme Souness

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's high-intensity approach has been a major factor in the club's current injury crisis, according to Graeme Souness.

Liverpool beat Stoke City 1-0 in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semifinal tie, but the win was marred by two more players for the club -- Dejan Lovren and Philippe Coutinho -- leaving the match with apparent hamstring injuries.

The Reds have also seen Martin Skrtel, Divock Origi, Jordan Rossiter and Daniel Sturridge suffer hamstring problems, compounding an injury crisis that has also seen the likes of Jordan Henderson, Mamadou Sakho, Joe Gomez and Danny Ings sidelined with other issues.

Souness, who won five league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool and later managed the club, believes part of the problem stems from the German manager's style of play and his approach to training.

"After 11 games, the guys who've been playing are match-fit," Souness said in his role as a pundit for Sky Sports.

"Some people can get there in three or four games, some need eight or nine, but after 11 games, if you've been playing regularly, you're match-fit.

"A new manager comes in and all the chat was about high press further up the field. It's hard work to do that for 90 minutes. You can do it in bursts.

"You can do it for an hour, you can do it for 70 minutes, but to do it for 90 minutes is a big demand on your legs.

"I just think they've fallen foul of that. It's not a coincidence, five hamstrings. To have them all at one time, I think they have to look at what they're doing in training."

Klopp responded to the injury crisis after the game by saying he will consider signing a centre-back this month, but he added: "Injuries? Yeah, that's it -- we will look at our training! We don't train, we only recover. That is the situation now? There is no training.

"But it's no problem really. I am responsible for these things and if you want to make me responsible then it's OK.

"We have five hamstrings and it's my responsibility but it is like it is and we have to see what we can do."

Meanwhile, former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has backed Klopp to revive the club after recent disappointments.

Klopp raised hopes of a title challenge with victories over Chelsea and Manchester City late last year but they have struggled to produce consistent performances.

"Look, I think obviously the ambition is certainly there," Fowler said. "Any club in world football, when you can attract a manager like Jurgen Klopp, I think that tells that you want to be the very best. And obviously Jurgen is going to put his own stamp on the game.

"He'll obviously bring in a few more players, and look, I'm not going to stand here and say, 'Yes we'll win it soon.'

"I think Liverpool is a work in progress and certainly under Jurgen, hopefully he will be that man to get us that title which has eluded us for many years."

Jamie Carragher, who is in Sydney with Fowler for the Liverpool Legends vs. Australia Legends match on Thursday, said the blame for some of the disappointing results overseen is not down to Klopp.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss was appointed in October after the dismissal of Brendan Rodgers, who had publicly questioned the quality of the squad, and Carragher said the club would need reinforcements to compete.

"He's had some disappointing results, but that's to be expected because the reason you change your manager is because the squad before or the results aren't going too well," Carragher said.

"It's not his squad and it's not the best squad and obviously that's why the manager was changed but he's had some outstanding results too."

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