Give Takumi Minamino time: Juergen Klopp
But Liverpool boss insists Japanese is not at Anfield to make up the numbers
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has urged patience with new attacker Takumi Minamino, who had a "light session" with his new teammates for the first time yesterday.
The 24-year-old, who signed from Red Bull Salzburg for £7.3 (S$13m), will not feature against Sheffield United in the English Premier League at Anfield tomorrow morning (Singapore time), but could play in the FA Cup third-round clash against Everton on Sunday.
"We want him to be that player who played against us," said Klopp of the Japanese, who scored once and bagged an assist against the Reds in the Champions League group stage.
| LIVERPOOL | SHEFFIELD UNITED |
"We didn't bring him in to accept he is No. 4 or 5 in attack. He can play in several positions... We need to use his natural skills...
"It would be nice if people give him time."
Meanwhile, Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson says it would be a "massive" accomplishment to go a year unbeaten in the league. The Reds can seal the record by avoiding defeat against the Blades.
Liverpool's last league loss came away to champions Manchester City on Jan 3, 2019 - their only EPL defeat last season.
This season, Juergen Klopp's runaway league leaders have won all but one of their 19 EPL games and hold a double-digit advantage over the Citizens and Leicester City, their nearest challengers.
On the prospect of going a year unbeaten in the EPL, Robertson told Liverpool's website: "It would say a lot.
"I think it says more about our mentality than it maybe does about... how good we are, because to be able to do it when on a lot of occasions it's been Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday - we've had a lot of games.
"And obviously going far in the Champions League last season, we went right to the end, but to still not lose your focus in the Premier League is so important. So that has to be our aim and hopefully, we can get the result that we need on Jan 2 to do that (go a year unbeaten).
"It would be massive for us to go a whole calendar year , but I'd rather a whole season than a whole calendar year because I think that would mean we would be champions. But we'll let other people talk about that."
INVINCIBLES?
A couple of key figures from Arsenal's Invincibles of 2003/04 - who won the league unbeaten - believe Klopp's team can replicate the feat.
Following Liverpool's convincing 4-0 triumph over Leicester on Boxing Day, Gunners legend Thierry Henry said: "I think that team can stay unbeaten."
His former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems to agree, saying on beIN Sports: "They were close last year and they are still on course to do it.
"But I think what Liverpool are expecting at the moment is just to win the Premier League, and that is the first target for such a football city...
"My experience when you play the whole season unbeaten is that they accumulated the belief that if they just continue to play, they will win the game.
"That is very difficult to get in the team because you need a special run to do that and to get the fear of losing out of the team.
"It's something that is very important and they have that at the moment."
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