Klopp right to rotate at Liverpool, says Phil Neville

Former Manchester United and Everton defender Phil Neville has said that Jurgen Klopp has to make sure "his best players are fit and ready" during the busy December-January period.

Published : Dec 15, 2017 13:14 IST

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has not had much to smile about over the last week, having seen his team drop four points at Anfield.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has not had much to smile about over the last week, having seen his team drop four points at Anfield.
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has not had much to smile about over the last week, having seen his team drop four points at Anfield.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is right to rotate his squad as much as he has, according to Phil Neville. The German manager has been criticised for his rotation after seeing his side held by Everton and West Brom at Anfield in the past two Premier League fixtures.

However, a former Manchester United and Everton defender, Neville said Klopp had to keep his squad fresh.

In January this year, Liverpool won just one of nine games, including being knocked out of the FA and EFL Cups, and Neville foresees a similar scenario if Klopp does not tinker with his line-ups.

Read: Klopp reveals hamstring scare for Liverpool star Salah

"With the way he plays, he has to rotate," Neville told Sky Sports. "I actually agree with what he is doing. I think he did take a little bit of a risk on Sunday against Everton. They dominated the game, then Everton got the penalty and got the draw.

"Then, against West Brom, Klopp played his strongest team and they also drew. You are damned if you do, damned if you don't. In the three or four games before that when he rotated and they got good results and nobody said anything about it.

"He has to make sure that in December and January his best players are fit and ready, because if they're not and they suffer the injuries they had last January, particularly the way that he plays, they will again have a difficult January-February."

Liverpool has slipped to fifth in the Premier League but is level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham. Klopp's men visit Bournemouth on Sunday.

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