Richard Keys has stated that he loves Jurgen Klopp for his simplistic approach after his Liverpool side won the Carabao Cup on Sunday.
Klopp was triumphant in the weekend’s Carabao Cup final, after the Reds won on penalties following an entertaining goalless draw.
Controversially, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was brought on by Thomas Tuchel in the last minute of the game for the shootout, but he was unable to help his team after he conceded all 11 penalties and missed the deciding one.
Klopp opted for backup keeper Caoimhín Kelleher between the sticks for the game, and his decision paid dividends after he kept a clean sheet in the 120 minutes and scored Liverpool’s final penalty.
Keys wrote on his personal blog that he ‘loves’ Klopp and his approach in keeping things simple, claiming he was glad Liverpool emerged victorious after Tuchel made the bold decision to change ‘keepers purely for the shootout.
He said: “Why didn’t Klopp bring on his No 1? Surely Alisson is better at saving pens than Kelleher? If not – and Allison had been playing – would Klopp have changed them? Of course, he wouldn’t. I love Klopp because he keeps it all so simple. And his team reflect his approach to life – all energy. Brilliant. I’m glad Liverpool won.”
TIF Thoughts on Richard Keys’ comments…
Considering Keys has been known for his controversial comments in the past about Liverpool, this could be seen as unfamiliar praise towards the Reds from the former Sky Sports man.
Klopp is different with his approach and is an energetic figure on the sidelines, which he certainly looks to implement into his side’s style of play. He opted for Kelleher as he has been his first-choice goalkeeper in the competition, and the 23-year-old certainly didn’t let him down.
Kelleher was a star performer for Klopp on Sunday and was awarded a SofaScore rating of 8.5. Although he didn’t save any penalties, he did score his own – something that Kepa failed to do.
The manager could have easily brought on Alisson for the penalties as he is much more experienced, but the German boss decided to stick to his guns, and the decision paid off.