Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has changed a lot of things in his time at Anfield. Having taken over the club just last year, the manager has already stamped his authority not just on the squad but also on most things at the club. He has managed to do away with the infamous transfer committee that was heavily criticised in the previous campaigns and has also shown that reputation of players does not mean much to him. The former was clear when Liverpool managed to get deals done for their top transfer targets who are available, quickly, while the latter was clear when star defender Mamadou Sakho was asked to leave the squad after his antics in the United States in the preseason.
According to reports, Sakho, who picked up an injury even before the tour, was late for a flight which he eventually missed and as a result was not a part of a team meeting and a dinner which made the manager furious. Ever since, Klopp had asked the 26-year old to leave the club on loan to find some game time and that he would be the 6th choice centre-back at the club if he had chosen to stay. Sakho later rejected deals from Stoke and West Brom on the last two days of the transfer window to stay at Anfield even after the deadline day and though he was named in the 25-man squad, he is reportedly the last person on the squad that Klopp will start this season.
The manager got his hands on Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan, two well respected Bundesliga defenders while Dejan Lovren, Lucas Leiva and Joe Gomez were all part of the squad before. Lovren and Matip seemed to have already formed a decent partnership with Klavan also impressing leaving Sakho with hardly any chance in the starting XI as it is but the freeze that Klopp has stamped on him will see him stay on the sidelines for almost the whole season or at least until January. But leaving the French international out of the squad might be the weirdest thing Klopp has done since his move to Anfield (he has done a lot starting with calling himself the ‘normal one’).
The 26-year old is a commanding defender who loves the physical battle of the Premier League. He is an exceptional passer of the ball and though his technique can bring a frown on the faces of the fans of the club when in possession, he is not prone to frequent mistakes.
Last season, Liverpool were one of the weakest defences on display in the league and yet Sakho managed to keep up decent figures defensively throughout the season. He has had his own share of howlers but is even now one of the best defenders in the league. He was also regarded as the first choice centre-back for France alongside the likes of Raphael Varane and Laurent Koscielny but lost his place due to a drug charge that was stamped on him by WADA. And though he is now free of all charges, his future is hanging in the limbo.
Reports have also suggested that Sakho might be given a disciplinary punishment by Klopp who wants to keep him out of the game for 10 months but not having someone like Sakho (even with the problem Klopp has with his attitude) can only be bad for the Reds. He is an experienced campaigner who is loved by most fans of the club and though leaving him out of the squad makes a statement, Klopp may have chosen the wrong person (in regards to his squad) to impose such heavy punishment. Liverpool fans will be happy with the strict rules in place for their players but seeing one of their star players suffer will not be easy. Do you think Klopp is stupid in freezing Sakho out of the club this season?
