Jurgen Klopp will have access to a club TV feed and could offer half-time guidance to Liverpool’s young players during tonight’s FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury.
Liverpool’s manager will miss the Anfield clash against the League One side, having made his intentions clear after the first match ended 2-2 nine days ago. He is on a winter break, as are his senior players, and the responsibility in the dugout will fall to Under 23 head coach Neil Critchley.
Critchley and Barry Lewtas, who runs the Under 18 team, have been in close contact with Klopp throughout the season and, as was the case in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa, they will select the team and make the major calls.
Klopp, though, could watch from afar.
During the game at Villa Park, he sent a message at half-time from Qatar — where the senior team were contesting the Club World Cup — when a youthful side were losing 4-0, and the words came as reassurance to Critchley. ‘He gives myself, the staff and players unbelievable support, so I can speak to him whenever I like when I’m down here,’ said Critchley.
‘He supports the young players unbelievably well as he has shown so far this season, so his presence, even if he isn’t there, is always felt by our younger players and by me.’
Liverpool’s novices will face a team of seasoned professionals but Critchley said: ‘Have we been written off? Is there maybe more pressure now on Shrewsbury to win the game because of the team that we have out?
‘Possibly. And that might work in our favour.’