Liverpool v Arsenal: Jurgen Klopp SLAMS Mesut Ozil critics

JURGEN KLOPP doesn’t understand the criticism.

Arsenal star Mesut OzilGETTY

Jurgen Klopp thinks criticism of Mesut Ozil is not justified

He doesn’t understand why Mesut Ozil is not appreciated in England as much as in his homeland. He doesn’t understand why others don’t celebrate a World Cup winner who keeps world-class players out of the Germany side.  

Instead the Arsenal playmaker has come under fire again after his performance in last week’s 1-0 defeat to Stoke. Indeed, he was attacked by one of Klopp’s coaching staff. Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool legend turned Under-18s manager and pundit, branded Ozil “a liability” for his efforts off the ball.

And today’s showdown at Anfield takes Ozil back to the scene of one of his toughest days in an Arsenal shirt, when they were thrashed 5-1 in 2014.

But Klopp had another action-packed game in mind, a six-goal thriller three months into his reign, as he warned that even a host of players cannot halt Ozil when he is form.  

He said: “I remember the 3-3 here. If Arsenal played that day without Ozil and [Olivier] Giroud, we win 3-0. It was one long ball, Giroud gave it to Mesut and it was five players on him [but we had] no chance.

He is an outstandingly skilled boy

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on Mesut Ozil

“He is an outstandingly skilled boy. If people are not happy with him, I don’t know why. There is no doubt in Germany about the quality of Mesut Ozil. Germany is really blessed with a lot of world-class or close to world-class players in his position and he is a fix in the German national team.

“[Manager] Jogi Low sticks to the players he is successful with but not when other players offer more so he was always very, very important for Germany and won the World Cup three years ago. I don’t know why people give him the criticism.”

And while Ozil will line up at Anfield, Liverpool will be without their equivalent of him. Philippe Coutinho is still to feature this season. He has been ill, injured and the subject of bids from Barcelona that could make him the second most expensive footballer ever.

But captain Liverpool Jordan Henderson is adamant the summer saga has not been mentioned in the Liverpool dressing room.

 “We haven't spoken about it,” he said. “As players and professionals you expect things to happen, especially when transfer windows are open. As players you focus on what's important. That's playing football and doing your job and I've felt we have done that brilliantly over the last few weeks. We need to carry that on.”

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Liverpool attacked brilliantly when they destroyed Hoffenheim 4-2 on Wednesday and Arsenal have seen their adventurous side as their three clashes in Klopp’s reign have produced 17 goals. 

But Henderson is adamant they are not one-trick ponies. “We aren’t just an attacking team,” he said. “We like to defend just as well as we attack and vice versa. I think we play with intelligence.”

And Klopp insisted his side do not have a gung-ho approach: “We can win in different ways. I respect this (defensive side of the game) and we work 100 percent on it. I don't like conceding but I don't think we play that offensive that we should give easy goals away.”

And Klopp knows there is nothing easy about coming up against Ozil.

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