Jurgen Klopp is supremely confident that Liverpool’s attacking style will tease the best goalscoring instincts out of Luis Diaz and help replace the loss of Sadio Mane’s goals.
Colombia star Diaz has wowed the Kop since he arrived in January last season, becoming an instant cult hero with his dashing pace and courage to take on opponents.
Yet for all the impact he has made at Anfield since his £37m move from Porto, there is one statistic that is slightly less impressive than the rest…his return of six goals in 28 appearances. The apparent lack of goalscoring instinct seemed apparent at Fulham on the opening day of the season, when Diaz missed a couple of big chances, but Klopp countered.
“Oh definitely he can get 10-15 goals this season. That is his quality. We need to see, but of course that is his potential,” Klopp said.
And the Reds boss dismissed the idea that he and his coaches are working specifically on finishing with the 25 year old winger…instead being content with the knowledge that Liverpool's style will bring the best out of him. Neither Mane nor Mohamed Salah were recognised as prolific scorers before they arrived at Anfield, but both became consistent in front of goal as they settled into Klopp’s team.
Mane had never got near 20 goals in a season at his time with RB Salzburg and then Southampton, but after his initial settling in season, reached double figures in four out of five years with the Reds, including 26 in 2018-19.
And Klopp believes it can be the same for Diaz: “When Sadio played against us, he scored three times for Southampton but it was not that he scored every week. He didn't even start the game when he played against us.
“So the consistency came with the confidence and with the team-mates, the structure of our game. So that is what we're working on that doesn't change. The way we play should help strikers. It is the way we play. It’s the way we bring the boys in the situation.
"Of course it is about whether it is in you or not, but it’s the way we play, how we position the players, how we protect the players, where we win the balls back. And it is how the boys can use their speed in these moments. They will be in a lot of goalscoring situations and that then makes you the player we remember.”
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Klopp’s side face Palace on Monday evening, knowing they must kick on following the disappointing opening weekend draw at Fulham, with Manchester City already on fire.
Yet he believes Diaz can be allowed to settle naturally as he looks to replace Mane, and not be put under pressure to score more. He added: “We work on it but not with Luis specifically. We don’t take him out because the other two scored and he didn’t, so we show him how. That’s not necessary. It’s not a problem. You can’t force it.
“Last week people were asking ‘How can you play without Sadio? (and his goals)’, but in November/December everybody was thinking about when he would score the next goal, and Mo was on fire. You just let it go.
"You see the situations Luis had, big chances, and he was just unlucky. He started on the first day with us and took part in all the sessions and that is the most important thing. All the rest will come. In the long term it is of course not a problem. It is about being prepared and fighting through moments like this.”
Klopp is without Thiago, Curtis Jones and Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain in his midfield, Ibrahima Konate at the back, while Diogo Jota is absent and Joel Matip a doubt, with Joe Gomez set to come in.
