Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come out in support of Roberto Firmino, who is going through a tough time in the ongoing season, and wants the forward to once again prove his mettle to the club.
The Brazilian's form has come under the scanner after the 29-year-old scored just six goals in 43 matches. Klopp admitted this type of phase comes in the life of players since nobody is living in a "dreamland".
"It [Firmino's form] is a mix. It is for sure a result of the season, 100 per cent, but as well when the boys up front don't score as often as we are used to then that doesn't help in these moments," Liverpool website quoted Klopp as saying.
"But anyway, it is not dreamland, so you have to go through these periods and it is temporary and not forever, no doubt about that. Bobby is not old or tired or something like that, or lost everything, not at all," he added.
The Liverpool boss asserted that Firmino or any other player needs to be at his very best on the field. "We see everything in training, but we need to make sure we bring that more often on the pitch. That is not only for Bobby either, but you asked about him. That is a general thing for us," said Klopp.
Klopp went onto explain what led to Liverpool not performing up to the mark in the ongoing Premier League having won just 15 games out of 33. He, however, insisted that he wasn't giving any "excuses" but was just explaining what went wrong.
"Let me say it like this, when we lost our defensive stability because of injuries, everybody had to do differently in protection, in defending, in all these kind of things," said Klopp.
"That keeps you a yard further back or two or three or five or 10, that keeps your focus away from an offensive situation because you think if we lose the ball, we have to make sure we get it back and all these kind of things. It's really complex, there were a lot of complex things that happened this year. That's why it was, so far, the season we saw," he further said.
"There is absolutely no excuse and hopefully that is clear, but it is a description of the situation. Bobby (Firmino) is one example of it, but Bobby is in a good moment, he trains really well and that's good," Klopp added.
Liverpool will next lock horns with Southampton on Saturday.
( With inputs from ANI )
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