Klopp satisfied with Wijnaldum despite ‘difficulties’

Matt Stead

Jurgen Klopp says he is happy with Georginio Wijnaldum’s performances, despite the midfielder saying he has found it “difficult” this season.

Liverpool signed Wijnaldum for £25million in the summer from Newcastle, where he scored 11 goals in 38 Premier League games from a more advanced position.

However, the Dutchman has been deployed in a more reserved position for the Reds under Klopp.

The 25-year-old has impressed in central midfield, but spoke of his “difficulties” in acclimatising to the position earlier this week.

“It depends on what the other players are doing,” he said on Wednesday. “You have to look at the other players. For example, if Lallana goes forward and Henderson also goes, I have to stay.

“Sometimes I have to get used to it because, normally, I’m the one who goes all the time. Now, I have to also look at the other players.

“That’s the thing that has changed the most in my way of football — that I have to look more at the other players.

“It is difficult and it still is. In the teams where I played before, I was the one who was running all the time to make a goal and I came into more positions to make goals.”

In his pre-match press conference before Saturday’s early game against Swansea, Klopp praised the Dutch international

“He is a creative midfield player,” he said. “He can play different positions, that’s how it is.

“When he was younger he played different positions. We want to see that too, and it’s what we saw until now.

“At this moment it’s very positive.”