Klopp admits Karius is a ‘long-term’ project at Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp: Backed Karius

Jurgen Klopp: May need to more conservative at Old Trafford

Jurgen Klopp admitted there was “no time frame” for Loris Karius to return to the Liverpool side, but has backed the keeper to be a “long-term” success.

Klopp dropped Karius for the 3-0 win at Middlesbrough and replaced him with Simon Mignolet after the young German had been criticised by pundits, including ex-Manchester United players Gary and Phil Neville, after errors against West Ham and Bournemouth.

Klopp though said he fully expected the 23-year-old to bounce back.

“I’m not interested in public pressure, I’m interested in the boy,” said Klopp. “There’s no reason to push him through the situation, he loses confidence.

“Karius has a lot of things that other goalkeepers want to have. We want to develop the players – we don’t want to convince people that he’s not bad.

“I know him really well and he’s much better than he has been in the last two games. It’s a situation which Liverpool have as a long-term project.”

Two goals from Adam Lallana and one for Divock Origi swept Klopp’s men back to second in the Premier League table while Mignolet saved well to deny Viktor Fischer.

Klopp said: “I’m really happy with our goalkeeping situation. We have three outstanding young goalkeepers so the goalkeeping situation at Liverpool is really good, and that’s why there’s no reason to push one through.

“We want to develop the players. We don’t want to convince people that he’s not bad, we are fine with our boys. Loris is very young and a great talent and everything will be very good in the end but there is no time-frame for when he will be back.”

Klopp, who admitted he had “no time frame” for return Karius to the first team, hit back at the Neville’s and added:”I only want to show how it feels when you get criticised without doing anything wrong. The pundits need to know how it feels.”