“Never seemed to get into the game" - Martin Keown believes Jurgen Klopp made a mistake by starting 2 Liverpool stars in their 1-0 loss
Martin Keown has claimed that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made a mistake by starting Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic in their 1-0 loss against Bournemouth.
The Merseyside giants fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League on Saturday (March 11) against Gary O'Neil's Bournemouth side at the Vitality Stadium.
Philip Billing scored the only goal for the Cherries while Mohamed Salah missed a golden opportunity to peg one back for Liverpool from the spot.
Former Arsenal defender turned television pundit Martin Keown has claimed that Jurgen Klopp deserves the blame for the defeat as he chose to start both Elliott and Bajcetic in the middle of the park.
The former England defender has also questioned the Liverpool manager's man management skills. Keown told talkSPORT:
“You look at the two young kinds playing alongside Fabinho. When you go away, you have to be aware of what you’re walking into. They never seemed to get into the game. I don’t think Klopp knows what he’s going to get from this group."
Keown has claimed that young players must go through a learning curve in order to shine at the highest level. He added:
“With young players, there is a learning curve. I remember from my career turning up and being really surprised by the atmosphere at certain stadiums. I think there is a bit of that with this group. But there should be enough experience to win at any stadium with what they’ve got.”
Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic have been the shining lights for Liverpool this season despite their overall forgettable season.
Elliott has been making a name for himself for quite some time now while Bajcetic has been a breakout player this season for the Reds. Elliott has made a total of 39 appearances across competitions this season, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
Bajcetic, on the other hand, has scored once and assisted once in 26 games across competitions.
Gabriel Agbonlahor backs Liverpool to complete stunning double midfield swoop this summer
Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor backed Liverpool to sign both Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham this summer.
Agbonlahor said (via This is Futbol):
"I keep hearing this – Mason Mount to Man United. The only club that could do with him, and could get him, is Liverpool – he could fit into that [Georginio] Wijnaldum role. They need a couple of quality midfielders because they are working with a blank canvas. You can put him next to Jude Bellingham."
He added:
“But Man United don’t need him at all. They’ve got [Christian] Eriksen, [Bruno] Fernandes – even [Jadon] Sancho to play a similar role. All three are better than Mount. There’s no doubt about it.”
Mount's contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire in the summer of 2024 and contract talks with Chelsea have not progressed well.
The attacking midfielder has scored three goals and provided six assists for the Blues in 32 games across competitions this season.