Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged his role in Joe Gomez’s goal drought at Liverpool, but hinted at a potential strategy to help the defender finally find the back of the net for the Reds.
Despite making 210 appearances for Liverpool without scoring, Klopp believes there could be a dependable solution to end Gomez’s elusive quest for a goal. Klopp jokingly mentioned that he would allow Gomez to take a penalty in the 89th minute of a match where Liverpool was comfortably leading 4-0.
Explaining Gomez’s role as a defensive stalwart, Klopp highlighted his importance in protecting the team during set pieces, which limits his opportunities to venture forward into the opposition’s penalty area.
Gomez is the only player remaining from Klopp’s tenure since 2015, and while time may be running out for him to score under the German manager, Klopp remains hopeful that Gomez will eventually break his goal drought.
Drawing parallels to Chelsea’s 2004/05 season, where Claude Makelele was given the opportunity to take a penalty and break his scoring duck after they had secured the title, Klopp suggested a similar scenario for Gomez could be possible in a game with less at stake.
While there may be limited opportunities for Gomez to push forward for set pieces, Klopp remains optimistic that the defender will eventually score, imagining the potential scenes if it were to happen in Klopp’s final game as Liverpool manager, potentially earning the club a trophy in the process.
