Jurgen Klopp said that he understands that Simon Mignolet does not like being number two but the goalkeeper should not moan in public © AFP / Paul ELLIS
LONDON, United Kingdom, Aug 31 – Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to stop complaining publicly about his role as understudy to Alisson Becker.
Mignolet has been reduced to back-up status since last season when he lost his place to Loris Karius.
Having endured a Champions League final nightmare last term, Karius has since been sent on loan to Besiktas after being replaced by close-season signing Alisson.
But Mignolet is no closer to regaining his place in the starting line-up.
That leaves Belgium international Mignolet facing another campaign as second choice and prompted him to give an interview in his homeland in which he said he still wanted to play and did not know what the future held for him.
Liverpool boss Klopp understood his frustrations, but admitted he was disappointed Mignolet hadn’t come to him first rather than grumbling to the media.
“It is true he will not depart, of course not,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.
“In general discussing your individual problems in public does not make too much sense, it is better to speak to each other, I’m a big believer in that. But it was still OK.
“We are all human beings and I have no problem with that, and if he was happy to be a number two then I wouldn’t really know him.
“He is a top professional, a top goalkeeper and of course he is not happy to be number two but at the end there are worse things in the world than being number two – pretty good pay by the way at Liverpool.
“In the first moment you understand decisions, or not, but it is always better to talk to me directly about it than to newspapers.
“It makes not too much sense, if you want to say something to me say it directly – that helps.”
