´Cheeky like hell´ Norwich will cause teams problems, says Klopp

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp branded Norwich City “cheeky like hell” and expects them to cause teams problems in the Premier League.

Despite falling to a 4-1 defeat at Anfield on the opening day of the new season, Daniel Farke’s side gave a solid account of themselves in their first match since winning the Championship.

Teemu Pukki and Marco Stiepermann missed first-half chances and Liverpool punished them, with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Divock Origi adding to Grant Hanley’s seventh-minute own goal.

Norwich refused to lay down and got the goal their performance deserved when Pukki slid a cool finish past substitute goalkeeper Adrian – a first-half replacement for the injured Alisson – in the 64th minute.

“A long part of the game really good, the first 60 minutes we were pretty impressive. If you are surprised that Norwich uses little moments for being dangerous, I’m not. That’s how they are,” Klopp told a post-match news conference.

“For 60 minutes we did what we had to do. We could’ve scored more, especially after half-time. Maybe then the opponent impressed a bit more as they were not really fussed about the result.

“They stayed cheeky, they stayed lively, they did what they wanted to do, they played, they changed offensively. I have the biggest respect for what Daniel’s doing there with the boys. A very interesting and exciting team they have there.

“They had their pretty risky formation and used that, but we were not really in danger, they were just good in a couple good moments.

“We played against an opponent who will cause a lot of teams problems. With the way they play, that’s really good. They are cheeky like hell and do what they do no matter what happens around [them].

“They caused us problems in some moments but I’m not surprised about that, it’s completely normal.”

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Klopp confirmed Alisson sustained a calf injury and will miss the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea on Wednesday, with a lack of depth in the goalkeeping department now a serious cause for concern.

“It’s the calf and that’s it. He couldn’t carry on, that’s not a good sign and we have to see. Wednesday he will not play, with all my experience I can say that already. He’s injured for sure. We have to see how much,” said the Liverpool boss.

“Caoimhin [Kelleher] is back in training but not 100 per cent, we have to wait and see how he reacts now. He broke his hand and is back in training but is not 100 per cent.

“One of the very young ones is not allowed to play, he’s only 16, and the other had an elbow injury in pre-season.”

On Adrian, who arrived on a free transfer after his contract at West Ham expired, Klopp added: “I don’t think he wanted to sit only on the bench for the next couple of years, he made himself ready.

“It’s a situation but if you’re in a situation like this you want to have somebody who’s played in the league, who’s experienced. He’s 32, he’s a calm guy, good with his feet which is important for us. We still don’t want to have a situation where one goalie is fit.”