With just over quarter of an hour remaining in Southampton and Liverpool's League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday night, the Sky Sports cameras trained on Daniel Sturridge. During the substitution of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg for Jordy Clasie, the Liverpool forward has been handed a note.
Liverpool were down 1-0 at the time following Nathan Redmond's first half goal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsKCe-FTelQ
Fans and media immediately had some theories about what was written on the piece of paper.
Think this is the note Klopp just gave to Sturridge pic.twitter.com/M6QvLuhGzH
— Chris Bascombe (@_ChrisBascombe) January 11, 2017
After the game Jurgen Klopp clarified the matter.
Quoted by the Liverpool Echo, Klopp explained what his note to Sturridge had said.
The note was a new system.
However we want to call it, 3-5-2. We put Lucas a little bit back, Emre in the centre, two wingers, two strikers, and half-space Lallana and Coutinho. That's all it was.
There was no more information than that. But it was enough.
We were a little bit too late (bringing the message on). We gave him the paper when the game was already running again but that's more our mistake than his.
Seven or eight knew it (the message) immediately, Roberto Firmino needed a little bit longer. But things like this happen.
The Liverpool manager also explained the thinking behind the tactical change.
It wasn't about being frustrated, it was about thinking we still had a chance. We tried to help at this moment.
It made sense to have real wingers high up. It made it more difficult for Southampton to defend and to have the players we wanted in the centre, which was Phil and Adam, and played with Divock and Daniel up front.
