Thompson applies the pressure to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp

Phil Thompson says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp “has to win a trophy” this season.

The German coach has been steadily building his squad since his arrival in October 2015 and he has spent big in the last two transfer windows with Virgil van Dijk (£75m) Naby Keita (£52m), Fabinho (£44m) and Alisson (£67m) all arriving.

The Reds though have yet to win a trophy under Klopp and there last silverware was the FA Cup win in 2006

Klopp did reach the League Cup and Europa League finals in his first season in charge before last season’s heartbreaking Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

However, Thompson thinks this season is the time that Klopp, who dodged a question on wining trophies at yesterday’s press conference, has to start winning silverware.

“It would be great, I would love to do it and it’s a trophy,” he told Sky Sports.

“Jurgen has to win a trophy this year. For the quality of squad he now has, he has to win a trophy.

“It gives him a great opportunity and I would gladly take the Carabao Cup, but you have to look where your priorities lie, which is what most managers do and make changes in these early rounds.

“Dare I say it, a lot of managers over the years, in the big six clubs, have put out weakened teams thinking if they do get knocked out they will take it on the chin and it will give them a better chance in Europe and the Premier League.

“They obviously don’t want to go out at the early stage, it’s not very nice, but come later in the season they will view it as a godsend.”