Klopp Unconcerned by Missed Penalties

What does a manager say after Liverpool have missed the last two penalties awarded and four successive penalties at Anfield? Well, Jürgen Klopp is confident about future penalties even if he did admit that the identity of a regular penalty taker is still to be decided.

"We have still to talk about it," Klopp said. "We had [one] before the last two games and that didn’t work, so maybe we should leave the question open and who feels best should take it.

"I really understand it’s a big story but in the past it is not to change. We will never try to get penalties, but when we have them in future we will score from the penalty spot, 100 per cent. We only have to make sure [we are] not getting this story all over the season because it’s a good opportunity to score when you have a penalty.

"The boys are all able to do it. As I said, Millie’s penalty was really, really good, but it was a brilliant save and that’s something we have to respect as well."

Liverpool have a reputation for gaining and profiting from penalties in recent years, but this is the worst run for quite some time. There doesn’t seem to be a clear hierarchy in the team, but there should be. Seeing players try to muscle in with the captain walking off in confusion to speak with Joël Matip preceded the missed penalty against Huddersfield. James Milner was restored to his role as penalty-taker-in-chief only to miss against NK Maribor, but Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino also remain options.

Milner was so successful from the spot last season that he probably should remain the club’s first-choice penalty taker when he’s on the pitch, but given that he’s not a regular starter when players are fit, a decision needs to be made on who should step up to the spot.