Klopp Praises Can’s Performance Against City

Let’s talk about Emre Can, please. His performance against Manchester City was a stand-out one, and pretty much everyone is in agreement about that (except, presumably, the five people on Twitter who hate everything good in the world).

“Good. Again good,” Klopp extolled when asked how he believed Can played.

This, of course, despite the calf injury that Can has been struggling with throughout his career.

“I’ve had calf problems for many years and it has been very difficult for me because I’ve played out of position, which means more sprints, and 10 minutes into the game I’ve not been able to feel my feet in a few games,” Can said, following the Burnley match earlier in March. “I play in a different position now and I don’t sprint too much.”

Playing Can in a role that avoids sprinting — and him losing all feeling in his feet — is probably for the best, especially given how many players on the squad are sporting injuries.

“Not a lot of players would have played,” Klopp said, about the decision to include him in Sunday’s line-up. “We had intense talks about whether we can leave him out. There were one or two games where we could do [so], but now we can’t.”

“We have these injury issues and that makes it difficult. But now it’s good so he can perform like he can today. He was very aggressive, very clear in all challenges. He got one or two fouls, but much more on him. It was a good game.”

It was. Here’s a video of everything he did right in the game, because you deserve it.