Jürgen Klopp Raves About Fabinho's Centre-Back Display After Win Over Ajax
By Tom Gott
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has revealed his delight at the performance of Fabinho as a makeshift centre-back in the Reds' 1-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday.
With Virgil van Dijk expected to be sidelined with a knee injury for the foreseeable future, Fabinho will likely be tasked with filling it at the back on a number of occasions - particularly with Joël Matip sidelined with his own injury at the minute.
Big one tonight ?? pic.twitter.com/4P522YEgKn
— Fabinho (@_fabinhotavares) October 21, 2020
It was an impressive display as a defender for Fabinho who, alongside Joe Gomez, helped keep a clean sheet and lead Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Ajax, after which Klopp admitted he was impressed with the pair's performance.
"Fabinho can play the position, he likes playing it actually," Klopp revealed (via the club's official website). "If I would have asked him to play right-back I don’t think he would enjoy it as much as he’s enjoying the centre-half position.
"In our situation in the moment we have to keep those boys fit and then they can of course help us a lot. I’m not surprised he [Fabinho] plays well in the position otherwise we would have thought about a different solution, even when that would have been properly tricky. I’m really pleased for tonight, pleased for him, yes it gave him confidence, for sure helped us.
"This combination with Joey and Fabinho, I don't think they played together before if I'm 100% right. Maybe once but I don't really know. So they need to get used to each other, they need to get used to the verbal demands in that position – what you have to say there to help the midfielders and all these kind of things.
"It was a really good performance but there's a lot to improve – how high or how low is the last line in which moment, in protection situations, in the pressing, 'How do we react there?' But it's no problem. For tonight it was absolutely good and now we carry on."
Speaking to Viaplay Fotball, Fabinho admitted that he did his best to copy Van Dijk on the field, trying to lead by example and organise the defence.
“Tactically, I have to be always ready for the long balls and try to organise the team," he said. “It’s not easy but I have to do what Virgil always does - talk to the team.
"I have to try and be a leader. Of course, I’m not Virgil but I will do my best.
"It’s very important to keep the clean sheet for the confidence of the team, that’s very good. The manager said to me I have to talk more to the team and organise them, so I tried to do this role.”