Gareth Southgate is baffled about a series of criticisms of his decision-making made by Jurgen Klopp and would like the Liverpool manager to explain why he “keeps having a swing” at a colleague.
Southgate insisted that, from his point of view, there is no reason why he and Klopp should be at loggerheads – but admits he has registered Klopp’s remarks about him with “interest.”
Klopp attacked Southgate recently for failing to include Joe Gomez in the England squad, on account of Gomez’s lack of playing time for his club, and yet sticking with John Stones during periods when the defender has been out of favour at Manchester City. Southgate has “a special thing for Mr Stones,” Klopp said.
Previously, Klopp had ridiculed Southgate’s use of Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield against Andorra in September.
“Why would you make the best right back in the world a midfielder?” said Klopp, who also complained when Southgate dropped Alexander-Arnold in April. “I don’t understand it,” Klopp commented then.
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Speaking after including Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson in his squad for England’s next internationals, their final World Cup 2022 qualifiers v Albania and San Marino, Southgate said he wasn’t aware of having done anything to upset the Liverpool boss.
“I don’t quite know why he keeps having a swing. You’d have to ask him,” Southgate said. “I think we’ve always got on reasonably well. I’ve noticed quite a few articles and quite a few comments, which is always interesting to see.
“I’ve got no problem with Jurgen at all. You’d have to ask him why he’s made the comments he has.”
Southgate expects Harry Kane to get back to his best under Tottenham’s new manager, Antonio Conte. Kane has endured a torrid club campaign in the wake of pushing for a transfer to Manchester City, scoring just one Premier League goal and drawing jeers from Spurs supporters in last week’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United.
That match was Nuno Espirito Santo’s last before being replaced by Antonio Conte as Tottenham manager. “It’s been a really complicated summer for [Kane], a very difficult situation for everybody. For Nuno, going into a club where the relationship with him and Harry was the first thing you are dealing with. Now there’s an opportunity for Harry to be able to put everything behind him,” Southgate said.
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“Now there’s a change of manager, I think there’s a fresh start for him. I think that will be a good stimulus. I’m sure the whole thing has been an experience that has been difficult – he’s ended up, understandably, with an adverse reaction from some of the fans there. So he’s had to deal with a lot of unintentional consequences of the possible move in the summer.”
“Antonio coming in is probably a good thing from Harry’s personal point of view. Knowing Antonio as I do, an outstanding coach and a very good man, I’m sure he’ll get a response and a reaction out of Harry very quickly.”
Kane’s club travails have not diminished, whatsoever, Southgate’s view of him. “The fact is Harry has 41 goals in 65 internationals and (if) we need to win a game of football there is nobody we trust more, if a chance drops to him, than Harry Kane. He’s the outstanding centre forward of his generation.
“That doesn’t mean that I’ve avoided taking him off a couple of times because I’ve wanted to spark something different within the team or finish a game differently.
“But he’s the one we have faith in. Harry and Raheem (Sterling) have won us so many matches over a period of time – big matches, important matches – and scored important goals.”
