Moreno

[Modo]

Alberto Moreno reveals Brendan Rodgers left him "raging" - but Jurgen Klopp trusts him already

• 23:07, 29 OCT 2015
• UPDATED 23:17, 29 OCT 2015
• BY JAMES PEARCE

Moreno is relishing playing for the German having been overlooked by Rodgers for the club’s first five league matches this term
Albert Moreno says he’s finally flourishing at Liverpool because he’s now playing for a manager who believes in him.
The resurgent Spanish left-back has revealed how his treatment at the hands ofBrendan Rodgers earlier this season left him “raging” after he was relegated to bench duty.

However, Moreno credits the appointment of Jurgen Klopp for transforming his fortunes ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash with Chelsea, report the Liverpool Echo.

The 23-year-old was rested for the midweek Capital One Cup win over Bournemouth but will return to the starting line up at Stamford Bridge having impressed during the opening weeks of Klopp’s reign.
Moreno is relishing playing for the German having been overlooked by Rodgers for the club’s first five league matches this term with rookie Joe Gomez picked ahead of him.

The £12million signing from Sevilla insists he never contemplated leaving Liverpool before the transfer window shut but admits he felt harshly treated.

“I do feel he trusts me, he spends a lot of time with me. The fact he has spent so much time with me, I think, shows up in good performances on the field.

“I perhaps felt that Brendan didn’t have quite so much confidence in me, certainly at the start of the season. He told me I was training hard but then I didn’t feature for those first five or six games.

“He said to me that it was still early in the season and that my opportunity would come but after the first game against Stoke, when we kept a clean sheet, he said he wasn’t going to change anything defensively at that point.

“It is true that when I was out of the team I was angry. It never entered my head that I was going to leave as I want to stay forever, but I had this inner anger, a rage almost.
“I felt I was playing well, training well. He told me that I was training well. But I couldn't see why I wasn't getting a chance at the beginning.”

Moreno initially regained his place under Rodgers as a wing-back last month with the former boss always having doubts about his defensive abilities. If Rodgers had had his way in the summer of 2014 Liverpool would have signed Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea instead.

Klopp has shown no such concerns over Moreno, utilising him at left-back, and working with him at Melwood to ensure he knows exactly what’s required.

The new manager’s only complaint has been over the defender’s grasp of English with Lucas Leiva having to act as a translator. The language lessons have now been cranked up to four times per week.

“I think I am playing well,” Moreno said.
I feel like I have fully integrated into the team again. Not being in the side for the first five or six games just inspired to me work as hard as I could in training so I could fight for my place in the starting XI.

“The manager has a huge passion for the game which I think I do. He wants you to express yourself on the field. He wants you to offer not 100% but 200% when you are performing and I think I offer that. It fits in with me.

“He really wants me to learn English as quickly as possible so he can get his ideas over. I have to brush up on my English.

“Through Lucas, he tells me to get forward, to be attack-minded. When I am defending, he tells me to be aggressive and stay tight to the person that I am marking. When I am going forward, not to be scared or play with tension and to be relaxed in possession of the ball.”

 

[Modo]

He's slowly starting to live up to that price tag. I think he's been great ever since Klopp took over.
It seems like he's getting the right coaching and instructions on the training ground. Barely put a foot wrong for the past few games and his positioning has improved a lot.

 

[cloggypop]

I thought he looked pretty damn good just before Herr Klopp took over myself.

He does look better defensively already though. They all do.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Wasn't he supposed to be utter rubbish last week?

His final ball and decision making is terrible.

 

[Red Mullet]

I wonder how Klopp would have treated him if Gomez wasn't injured.

 

[localny]

the focus on defensive set-up under Jurgen is rather pleasing.

 

[Modo]

I wonder how Klopp would have treated him if Gomez wasn't injured.

Hmm...he would probably be thinking "why the hell should I play a right footed centre half as a left fullback?"

 

[Mystic]

I'm a massive fan, I made a thread about him recently saying if he can improve his composure in the final third, he'll be one hell of a player, and its true, he has huge potential.

 

[Modo]

I thought he looked pretty damn good just before Herr Klopp took over myself.

He does look better defensively already though. They all do.

Yes, but he wasn't playing as a left wing back. He's now back in his natural position and doing well.

 

[Red Mullet]

Hmm...he would probably be thinking "why the hell should I play a right footed centre half as a left fullback?"

Those kinda thoughts are everywhere. For example why do I have 4 number 10s and no wingers? Why is the Captain and the Vice Captain playing in the same position? Does this mean I can only have one of the leaders on the pitch?

 

[mark1975]

Poor Moreno, got dropped because he made some pretty catastrophic errors.

 

[ILD]

Bit of a non story. Gomez was excellent in pre season and was given a go ahead of Moreno as Gomez was deemed to be the more defensively sound of the two. Which is prob correct. Moreno featured off the bench and started when we deployed wing backs. He got a fair crack at it and his attitude was impeccable in fairness. Klopp is obviously going to use him as he's our only left back at the moment.

I'm a bit meh on Moreno. His pace and attitude give me hope that he's someone worth working with. I like his enthusiastic approach to games as his willingness to get involved. This can lead to him being out of position from time to time though so we'll wait and see.

 

[ILD]

Yes, but he wasn't playing as a left wing back. He's now back in his natural position and doing well.

I was under the impression Moreno was more suited to a wing back position as opposed to a flat back four. I also thought he was deployed as a wing back for Seville?

 

[Modo]

I was under the impression Moreno was more suited to a wing back position as opposed to a flat back four. I also thought he was deployed as a wing back for Seville?

I don't really follow the Spanish league but in the few games I saw Sevilla play (against Barca and Real) he was playing at left back.

 

[Gary25]

Jury is still out on Moreno for me, but he's definitely played better since Klopp came in.

Will see how he gets on in the coming games before thinking he could be our left back long-term or whatever.

 

[reuque]

He's been here over a year and still hasn't picked up the language?? Did Rodgers give sets of bilingual instructions or something coz that would explain why the defence was always in utter shambles.

 

[RedStar]

I'm always suspicious of players who dont bother to learn the language, it suggests a lack of interest in the team unit

 

[reuque]

I'm always suspicious of players who dont bother to learn the language, it suggests a lack of interest in the team unit

Or lack of encouragement from the manager. I remember when Rafa just came in and bought our Spanish influx, he made it a point that only English was to be spoken in the dressing room, during training, basically whenever with the team. This made a lot of difference since previously under Ged, there were divisive factions within the team.

 

[rurikbird]

I was under the impression Moreno was more suited to a wing back position as opposed to a flat back four. I also thought he was deployed as a wing back for Seville?

No, they play with a back 4 and he played as a left full-back, always.

I think instructing him to get tight to the attackers is the key. He is quick, willing to work hard and, as we saw recently, he definitely knows how to tackle. His biggest problem was he was giving the attackers way too much space and thus was never in a position to block a cross. If Klopp can improve his positioning (and there are positive signs already) then we'll get a really good player who can hopefully solve our persistent LB problems for years to come.

Getting him (and presumably other recent foreign arrivals) to learn English is also the right call. A team should live and communicate like a team, not a bunch of cliques or groups kept apart by the language barrier.

 

[cloggypop]

Suarez and Mascherano were both a bit rubbish at English.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Player in a 'I wanted to play and was pissed I was on the bench' shocka!

He wasn't on the bench b/c of anything bar a fantastic start to the season from Joe Gomez. Once Rodgers flipped systems, he was back in and playing rather well. I hope he continues on the current trajectory.

 

[Mystic]

I'm always suspicious of players who dont bother to learn the language, it suggests a lack of interest in the team unit

Well he was learning English, Klopps just insisted he learns it quicker, so its not like he wasn't bothering.

 

[Squiggles]

I'm not really I'm favour of him mouthing off like this. Rodgers was right not to start him in earlier on the season. Just because he's been sacked since doesn't make that decision wrong, nor the right for Moreno to open his gob.

 

[mark1975]

He can't really have any complaints with this:

“He said to me that it was still early in the season and that my opportunity would come but after the first game against Stoke, when we kept a clean sheet, he said he wasn’t going to change anything defensively at that point.

We had defended poorly collectively, but individually him and Lovren were consistently the two biggest culprits. Towards the end of last season he was making mistake after mistake. Last season he made errors when playing fullback and wingback. He's not even acknowledging that his time out the side has coincided with him coming back stronger and more focused. And as Squiggles said, I don't know why we should be championing this sort of stuff, but it's always the same posters who were completely anti-Rodgers who feel it necessary to highlight it, as though it proves anything other than that footballers are as fickle as the rest.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Poor Moreno, got dropped because he made some pretty catastrophic errors.

This times x 10.

His lazy arse defending cost us points last season and gomez looked pretty decent so he should have no complaints.

Fair play he has picked up his game.

 

[ILD]

No, they play with a back 4 and he played as a left full-back, always.

I think instructing him to get tight to the attackers is the key. He is quick, willing to work hard and, as we saw recently, he definitely knows how to tackle. His biggest problem was he was giving the attackers way too much space and thus was never in a position to block a cross. If Klopp can improve his positioning (and there are positive signs already) then we'll get a really good player who can hopefully solve our persistent LB problems for years to come.

Getting him (and presumably other recent foreign arrivals) to learn English is also the right call. A team should live and communicate like a team, not a bunch of cliques or groups kept apart by the language barrier.

Cool, thanks. I didn't really watch him play for Seville. I always presumed he preferred being deployed as a wing back as he likes to get forward.

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

He's been here over a year and still hasn't picked up the language?? Did Rodgers give sets of bilingual instructions or something coz that would explain why the defence was always in utter shambles.

Rodgers was busy showing off that he could speak Spanish.

 

[tony]

He can't really have any complaints with this:

“He said to me that it was still early in the season and that my opportunity would come but after the first game against Stoke, when we kept a clean sheet, he said he wasn’t going to change anything defensively at that point.

We had defended poorly collectively, but individually him and Lovren were consistently the two biggest culprits. Towards the end of last season he was making mistake after mistake. Last season he made errors when playing fullback and wingback. He's not even acknowledging that his time out the side has coincided with him coming back stronger and more focused. And as Squiggles said, I don't know why we should be championing this sort of stuff, but it's always the same posters who were completely anti-Rodgers who feel it necessary to highlight it, as though it proves anything other than that footballers are as fickle as the rest.

Well to me under Klopp he does now appear to know where he should be during different phases of the game and that could be perfectly justified as an indictment of Rodgers defensive coaching. He looked lost at times last season, looking to the bench all the time for affirmation

 

[mark1975]

Well to me under Klopp he does now appear to know where he should be during different phases of the game and that could be perfectly justified as an indictment of Rodgers defensive coaching. He looked lost at times last season, looking to the bench all the time for affirmation

As I said, collectively we were poor, but I don't buy that Lovren and Moreno's errors were forced on them via the system, they were often basic, schoolboy mistakes.

 

[davud graham]

He needs to improve his crossing but and get better at stopping crosses coming into our box but despite that he has looked better the past 5 or six games. His pace helps him enormously I hope he improves even more.