Liverpool FC Forum

[Reg]

Jürgen Klopp could allow Mamadou Sakho to leave Liverpool on loan

• Defender could be allowed to sharpen up elsewhere after torrid few months
• Klopp says fringe players must accept being on the sidelines

Guardian sport
Tuesday 23 August 2016 00.15 BST
Jürgen Klopp is believed to be willing to loan Mamadou Sakho out before the end of the transfer window after a chequered few months for the French centre-back.

Reports suggest that Sakho, who was banned in April for failing a drugs test before Uefa dropped the case in July, will be allowed to restore his match sharpness elsewhere, having not played in a competitive game since the 4-0 win over Everton on 20 April. Sakho scored in that game but his suspension stunted his progress and then he angered Klopp sufficiently to be sent home from the pre-season tour of the United States after a series of minor disciplinary breaches.

A heel injury has further hampered any attempts to re-establish himself in Klopp’s early-season thinking. Any loan move would not signal the end of the 26-year-old’s Liverpool career, with the intention being that he would return ready to reproduce the performances that made him a favourite at Anfield last season. Sakho joined from Paris Saint-Germain in September 2013 and became a key member of Klopp’s side after starting 2015-16 on the bench.

Meanwhile Klopp has warned others among his Liverpool players to expect to be disappointed as he does not intend to use cup competitions to give those on the fringes of his squad a run out. With no European football this season there is less pressure on the squad than there was during the 63 matches they were involved in on their run to the Capital One Cup and Europa League finals in the previous campaign.

Klopp is keen to establish some rhythm, having seen his side fire blanks in losing at Burnley a week after beating Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, but he wants his players to fight for their places.

It means changes will be kept to a minimum for Tuesday’s EFL Cup tie at the Championship side Burton Albion, leaving some players frustrated. “We will make changes but not big changes. It is not really likely we change seven or eight positions,” he said.

“I cannot give all players together the opportunity to play. Sometimes we have to work longer to change the situation. Of course each week in which they can’t or didn’t play it is not too good for a player but that is how it is in football. You accept this when you start playing the game. The only thing a player can do is work as hard as possible, to perform in each session and then the manager has to make a decision.”

Liverpool had 81% possession against Burnley and, despite having 26 shots, managed only five on target and rarely troubled Tom Heaton. “There was not enough desire in the last third,” said Klopp, who is likely to give Divock Origi and the new centre-back Joël Matip their first starts of the season at Burton. “We had so many moments around the box where we could have made better decisions.

“When we were ready for crossing we had no one in the box and that makes 0.0% sense. That is what I mean when I speak about desire. We had so many shots from outside [the box] and sometimes you have to try but it looked too early and kind of desperate.

“To create something like a real mentality you need time. The first game was very good, the second game not, so what’s the truth now? There is no pressure in this moment. It is more a chance to bring the Liverpool train in the right direction and that is what we want to do.”

Burton’s manager, Nigel Clough, meanwhile, insists the Brewers’ forthcoming matches against Liverpool and Derby are nowhere near as daunting as a “torturous” trip to Doncaster last season. Burton – a non-league side seven years ago – have experienced a rapid rise to compete at Championship level for the first time in their history. Clough’s team needed to avoid defeat against Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium in their final match of last term in order to clinch automatic promotion. With their nearest rivals, Walsall, leading 5-0 at Port Vale, the tension and pressure was intense, but Burton got the point they required courtesy of a goalless draw.

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Clough views the visits of his former club and Derby as something everyone associated with the club should relish. “Obviously there’s no such thing as a free game because you want to win and get through but this is as close as it gets for us,” said Clough, who spent two and a half years with the Anfield club between 1993 and 1996. “Playing Liverpool and Derby this week is not pressure for us. Having to get a point away at Doncaster to win promotion – that is pressure. It was torturous. This is a brilliant week for the club, not a crucial week. “It’s 10 years since we played Manchester United in the FA Cup, so these games don’t come around very often for us. Ask our supporters. Never in their wildest dreams did they believe they’d be playing teams like this, never mind who we now play in the league week in, week out.

“It’s been an incredible 10 years for the club. Seven years in the Football League and we are competing in the Championship. The chairman keeps saying we have to keep pinching ourselves and he’s right. We are riding the crest of a wave and we’re loving every minute of it.”

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

Let's face it 5 shots on target from 26 attempts is absolutely pitiful for professional players being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, a goal is a big flipping big target, it's 8 yards wide which is 24ft! Pro golfers regularly hit a little ball with a stick (which is an art in itself) from 150 yards out and land it with ten feet of a 4 inch hole in the ground, our players can't even hit a 24ft by 8ft target from less than 18 yards out!

[only me]

Let's face it 5 shots on target from 26 attempts is absolutely pitiful for professional players being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, a goal is a big flipping big target, it's 8 yards wide which is 24ft! Pro golfers regularly hit a little ball with a stick (which is an art in itself) from 150 yards out and land it with ten feet of a 4 inch hole in the ground, our players can't even hit a 24ft by 8ft target from less than 18 yards out!

Come on mate it wasn't a matter of accuracy ,most of the shots weren't "quality" opportunities ,they were covered ,under pressure and forced...nothing to do with their payroll or eye sight.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

Let's face it 5 shots on target from 26 attempts is absolutely pitiful for professional players being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, a goal is a big flipping big target, it's 8 yards wide which is 24ft! Pro golfers regularly hit a little ball with a stick (which is an art in itself) from 150 yards out and land it with ten feet of a 4 inch hole in the ground, our players can't even hit a 24ft by 8ft target from less than 18 yards out!

Come on mate it wasn't a matter of accuracy ,most of the shots weren't "quality" opportunities ,they were covered ,under pressure and forced...nothing to do with their payroll or eye sight.

They still should be doing better than that though, compared to a lot of other sports footballers have a huge target to aim for, these are supposed to be people at the top of their profession don't forget.

[parchpea]

Moyes has turned down chance to take him to Sunderland and they are absolutely desperate for centre backs, but not that desperate.

[aCe']

He's much better than Klavan. Why would we spend money signing Klavan only to let Sakho leave on loan ?

[7_Kewell]

He's much better than Klavan. Why would we spend money signing Klavan only to let Sakho leave on loan ?

Because Sakho was never suppose to leave. However, given that he was sent home from the tour, something has obviously happened behind the scenes.

I think he's played his last game for LFC.

[maguskwt]

doesnt sound good. He is one of the brighter spots in our abysmally inconsistent team and the best defender...

[maguskwt]

Let's face it 5 shots on target from 26 attempts is absolutely pitiful for professional players being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, a goal is a big flipping big target, it's 8 yards wide which is 24ft! Pro golfers regularly hit a little ball with a stick (which is an art in itself) from 150 yards out and land it with ten feet of a 4 inch hole in the ground, our players can't even hit a 24ft by 8ft target from less than 18 yards out!

Come on mate it wasn't a matter of accuracy ,most of the shots weren't "quality" opportunities ,they were covered ,under pressure and forced...nothing to do with their payroll or eye sight.

They still should be doing better than that though, compared to a lot of other sports footballers have a huge target to aim for, these are supposed to be people at the top of their profession don't forget.

You're right Yakka. How much bigger is the basket than the ball in basketball? maybe 10%? And yet the above average nba player could score in high percentage from 25 ft out. They just seem to be more drilled than football players.Maybe football players are focussing too much on physical fitness nowadays. They should practice more on technique and shooting.

[Reg]

He's much better than Klavan. Why would we spend money signing Klavan only to let Sakho leave on loan ?

Because Sakho was never suppose to leave. However, given that he was sent home from the tour, something has obviously happened behind the scenes.

I think he's played his last game for LFC.

+1.

Maybe Klopp hasn't forgiven him for the doping ***** up and missing the UEFA cup final, hence no european competition this year. How much has that cost the club and the players/manager in bonus.....

It could be a punishment, go play for Sunderland for a year to sort your head out.

[C-R]

All the main outlet's reporting that Stoke City have made a loan offer for Mama, -if- he does have to go and is guaranteed to play 75% of games then it could be good for him and us (and Stoke of course)

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fo ... o-11795370

[only me]

All the main outlet's reporting that Stoke City have made a loan offer for Mama, -if- he does have to go and is guaranteed to play 75% of games then it could be good for him and us (and Stoke of course)

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fo ... o-11795370

I don't accept this loan cover story ;If klopp thinks Mamma has crossed the lines and breached the club code of conduct then fair enough sell him and let's get over it....But loan for him to get game fitness is not convincing and not logical...He is quality we can't afford to lose..let him train and get back within a few weeks.

[7_Kewell]

All the main outlet's reporting that Stoke City have made a loan offer for Mama, -if- he does have to go and is guaranteed to play 75% of games then it could be good for him and us (and Stoke of course)

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fo ... o-11795370

I don't accept this loan cover story ;If klopp thinks Mamma has crossed the lines and breached the club code of conduct then fair enough sell him and let's get over it....But loan for him to get game fitness is not convincing and not logical...He is quality we can't afford to lose..let him train and get back within a few weeks.

Sell him to who? Stoke arn't going to pay £20m and the top flight clubs are hardly falling over themselves to take him either.

Klopp isn't going to give him away, simply because he's fallen out with him.

[C-R]

decent sources (in my experiences) are saying Mama will in fact join Sunderland tomorrow on a 1 year loan

seems a very strange one to me, either we are in fact being told the truth and JK wants him to get his fitness back OR there is an unrecoverable problem between the 2

be interesting to see what happens long term

EDIT - The Echo are all over it now... http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fo ... d-11820873

[parchpea]

Club put a lot of ***** in the media to try and maintain some value on a player we invested a lot in.

They will say the right things but given his discipinary issues are now public knowledge it will be difficult to shift him and they know it.

Sakhos finished at Liverpool but I get the impression he may not go quietly or easily, I hope he does take the Sunderland route otherwise we may be stuck with him.