Jurgen Klopp’s comments on Liverpool bit-part players show challenge Man Utd face

Jurgen Klopp’s comments on his Liverpool fringe players show the level of teamwork pulsing through the club and how different life is at Manchester United.

For Erik ten Hag, the job he has just taken on might take a lot more time than the one that the German has done at Anfield. And whether the Red Devils have such patience remains to be seen.

Liverpool is gunning down Manchester City in the Premier League as they look to win an unprecedented quadruple having already lifted the Carabao Cup. They remain one of the favorites to win the Champions League while they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

But the Reds do not look like they are able to be stopped and that is largely down to their electric starting XI that appears to experience little in fatigue or lack of form. It has left those on the fringes as mere spectators for the most part.

However, Klopp has been keen to make sure that they feel as important to the squad as the key players and insisted that those with bit-part roles are his strongest. He said: “The group lives because of the boys that don’t always play, they are the strongest players ever; [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, [Harvey] Elliot, [Takumi] Minamino, even Rhys Williams. They are in great shape, but the way they behave is why we do this kind of thing.”

Divock Origi was on the scoresheet against Everton to add to his tally of big goals for Liverpool and Klopp reserved special praise for the Belgian, saying: “We will never miss a player like him because if he leaves, he will explode wherever he goes.

“He is a world-class striker, he is a legend and will stay a legend forever. He doesn’t always make the squad which is ridiculous, but he is there when we need him every time. He was involved in both games; everything that we did in the second half, without Divock, wouldn’t have happened.”

It is clear that the love at Liverpool runs through from the top players right through to those working hard behind the scenes – something that cannot be said at United. Even Jesse Lingard told Paul Scholes that the dressing room is a nightmare while Scott McTominay admitted that it is not working at the club.

Ten Hag will join this summer and has a huge in-tray to make his way through amid an incredibly important summer transfer window. And sorting out the squad’s harmony must be a priority.