Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been speaking about Liverpool’s rapidly changing attack.
Jurgen Klopp has played down talk of Liverpool’s new forward line replicating the collective output of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane – but believes the sky’s the limit for Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo at Anfield.
Nunez, Gakpo, and Salah all struck a brace each before substitute Firmino added another late on in Sunday’s historic 7-0 win over Manchester United.
Nunez’s double moved him up to 14 goals in all competitions in just 21 starts since his initial £64m switch from Benfica last summer, while a strong few weeks for January signing Gakpo has led to him netting four in his last five for Klopp’s side.
During a decorated period in which the club won every top-level trophy available, Firmino, Salah and Mane registered 338 goals as a trio before the latter’s switch to Bayern Munich last summer.
Asked what Gakpo, Nunez, and Salah can learn as something of a new-look attack from the one the Egyptian played in next to Mane and Firmino, who is set to leave this summer, Klopp said: “Nothing really because it is outstanding and it is not possible to replicate because it was a special relationship, footballing-wise.
“Like it worked out very well, everybody could play to his 100% strength, I would say. The system we found for the boys helped them all, they would see it the same way.
“So, no, the challenge for us obviously with all the changes we have made now, or over the next few years, we have always replaced a sensational player or formation or whatever because the boys are just that good. That is how it is but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to make changes.
“And that is why I said before sometimes it sounds (like) that we didn’t do any transfers but I think that the boys we brought in have all got their specific skill set and we have to adapt as a team then, slightly, the way we play, the way we set it up, all these kind of things, but they all have potential to be outstanding and that is why we brought them in.
“And it’s very cool when the boys are new that the excitement is there. They can’t keep the same excitement for the next 10-15 years but when you come into a big club, good football, sensational stadium… yeah, the boys are ready to push themselves to wherever – nobody knows where at the moment – but they are very young, they have a lot of football years to come and we will see.
