“We require a player who maintains possession!” exclaimed Jurgen Klopp. “After he was substituted, our performance improved,” Klopp defended his decision to replace Mohamed Salah early after a heated exchange with the Liverpool winger in their loss.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made an unusual request of Mohamed Salah during Thursday’s triumph over Sparta Prague, marking a departure from his usual coaching directives.

The Egyptian forward found the net in the 6-1 thrashing, notching his 20th goal of the season and setting a new record as the first Liverpool player to achieve this milestone in seven consecutive campaigns.

While Salah completed his first full 90 minutes in two months, Klopp revealed that he had intended to substitute him earlier but changed his plans due to a teammate’s injury concern.Despite this, Klopp disclosed that he instructed Salah to adopt a unique approach as the game progressed.Speaking to TNT Sports, Klopp explained, “It was not the plan for him to play the full 90 minutes.

The intention was to replace him when we brought on Mateusz (Musialowski), but Bobby Clark indicated he felt something, and Mo is experienced enough to recover during the game.”

Klopp admitted, “I told him not to defend anymore – I’ve never given such an instruction to a player before.”

Expressing admiration for Salah’s consistency, Klopp praised his star player, saying, “In the seven years we’ve been together, the one problem we’ve never had with him is consistency.” Salah’s unwavering commitment and goal-scoring prowess have been a constant for Liverpool.

“Mo continues to deliver, and his desire to score remains undiminished,” Klopp remarked, highlighting Salah’s relentless drive to improve.

Despite being sidelined with an injury earlier in the season, Salah has returned with even greater determination.

Reflecting on Salah’s achievement, Klopp admitted that he was not entirely surprised, considering Salah’s exceptional track record.

He acknowledged that Salah’s injury had delayed reaching the milestone earlier in the season but expressed delight at having him back in top form.

Overall, Klopp’s unique instruction to Salah and Salah’s consistent excellence underscore the strong bond between player and manager and the Egyptian’s vital role in Liverpool’s success.It seems Klopp’s unusual instruction to Salah, asking him not to defend, was a strategic move due to the circumstances of the game and Salah’s experience to manage his energy efficiently. Klopp’s trust in Salah’s ability to adapt and his consistent excellence highlight the strong relationship between them and Salah’s importance to Liverpool’s success.