Originally Posted by
Steveo
I am certainly no expert mate - I don’t even work in football.
Even if I were - it seems you are asking me to pluck a percentage out of the air. I can see no way to put a meaningful percentage on this.
BTW I see Sterling as far far less of a key player for City than Mané has been for us. He has played with better technicians and in a significantly bigger squad. It’s a very different scenario. Sterling performed or he had someone like Sane come in and his place could be gone. This is a natural motivator.
I don’t believe Salah, Mané or Bobby have had anything like that until Jota arrives and starts scoring. That’s an awful long time to be pushing yourself - knowing that you probably don’t actually need to reach such heights. You are starting regardless. It’s mentally exhausting. That’s before we look at the physical work and sacrifice Mané has made. Ditto Bobby ( the guy has literally put his body on the line ) and to a slightly lesser extent Salah.
This could be a big part of why the goals have dried up. The front 3 - like both Full Backs have all been in the same boat. Nobody is rotating with them and they are playing in every high profile game without fail.
This is where I feel for Klopp. He clearly only trusts a select few based on ability and drive - but he doesn’t have enough of them.
That doesn’t mean you are wrong.
It might just be that Klopp is happy with the small squad he has. That he doesn’t want more first team choices and perhaps even ok with the fact that the only viable options Ox - Keita & Matip are perennially unfit.
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