Football players airing their grievances to media outlets is something that hasn't sat well with me for a long time. There are generally a few reasons that a player will choose to take this route. 1) They feel they are now good enough to move to a different club. 2) They are unhappy with the current playing time they're getting. 3) They are unhappy with the current manager. It's akin to a child kicking and screaming at its parents in public when they won't give in to demands for a new toy. A recent example of this can be seen in Paul Pogba's comments in September when he underhandedly criticised Jose Mourinho's tactics, claiming:

When we are at home we should attack, attack, attack. That’s Old Trafford. We are here to attack. I think teams are scared when they see Man United attacking and attacking. That was our mistake today. I’m not the manager, I cannot, like, say that but obviously, we should show more option of playing but I cannot say that because I’m a player.
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Although Pogba had a worthwhile point about Mourinho's tactics, it wasn't his place to criticise his manager in public. There is a chain of command in all forms of employment and if they're not followed then these roles become somewhat laughable.

There is a tendency for footballers to think selfishly about the situations they find themselves in. That's understandable insomuch that it's their career and they obviously want the best for themselves. What these players need to remember, however, is that it is the manager's job to do what he sees as the best thing for the overall football club. Despite what some players may believe, they're not playing for the likes of Pogba FC or Balotelli FC, and are representing football institutions that are often ingrained into the fabric of the city they reside within.

The most recent player to try to cause a scene at Liverpool is Alberto Moreno. The out-of-favour left back decided to take aim at Jurgen Klopp in an interview with Cadena Ser over the last couple of days. Speaking about his lack of playing time, Moreno stated:

I do not feel good, that is the truth. I hurt myself giving everything for this team and I think that when I came back from injury, I deserved an opportunity. The situation is normal for a lot of players but simply I did not like the way he (Jurgen Klopp) has treated me, you can say that.

My issue here isn't with the fact that Moreno is desperate to play. That's a good thing and you are never going to be able to please everyone in a squad of quality players because, inevitably, some of them are going to have to settle for a place on the substitute bench. However, if you're going to suggest that the manager has treated you poorly then you better have a good reason for it or you'll lose any affection the supporters of the club had towards you.

Taking a look back on Moreno's career at Liverpool, he has never really shown himself to be a reliable player in the left back position. He arrived from Sevilla with great promise but went on to put in plenty of appearances that showed he isn't an intelligent defender, gives away cheap fouls, makes mistakes that cost the team, and generally just runs around like a headless chicken who will put in a decent cross once in a while. When Andy Robertson was signed from Hull, plenty of people thought it was a mistake, but he's gone on to become one of the best left backs in Europe and Moreno's suggestion that Klopp has treated him badly by not allowing him to play just doesn't add up.

Left Backs Compared

Alberto Moreno (2017/18 Premier League)

  • Appearances: 16
  • Clean Sheets: 6
  • Goals Conceded: 19
  • Tackles: 35
  • Recoveries: 69
  • Passes: 783
  • Passes Per Game: 48.94
  • Crosses: 51
  • Fouls: 8

Andrew Robertson (2018/19 Premier League)

  • Appearances: 17
  • Clean Sheets: 11
  • Goals Conceded: 5
  • Tackes: 37
  • Recoveries: 113
  • Passes: 1154
  • Passes Per Game: 67.88
  • Crosses: 58
  • Fouls: 4

Now, these statistics are just one measure of how good a player has been and, of course, you have to consider that Andrew Robertson is playing in a better defensive unit. However, the statistics show that Moreno's performances over a similar number of games simply don't match up to Robertson's in either defensive or offensive responsibilities. Why, therefore, should Moreno feel aggrieved that Klopp hasn't decided to put him back into the starting 11? I don't think there is a case to be made in this regard, so his complaints to foreign media outlets stink of a player who is looking for a move elsewhere.

The funny thing here is that Liverpool are likely to call upon Moreno throughout the Champions League and FA Cup upcoming games in order to give Robertson a rest via squad rotation. This would have been a perfect opportunity for Moreno to show Klopp that he deserves to be in the team by putting in good performances. Going to the media to have a little whine really isn't the best way to get the boss on side. In fact, Klopp has refused to be dragged into a discussion in the press about this issue, but had the following to say:

I'm not prepared to say something about it. How I deal with things like that is usually... my door is not always literally open but it's always open if somebody wants to talk to me. If they don't talk to me then it's not really existing - that Alberto is not happy with not having many minutes.

It seems, therefore, that Moreno hadn't even had the guts to have a talk with his manager about his current situation. The best course of action, if he was unhappy, would have been to go and ask Klopp what he needs to work on in order to be considered for a place in the team. No doubt Klopp would have been more than content to help one of his players improve, and his desire to do so would have likely impressed him. As of now, Moreno looks to be on his way out of the club and that isn't something that Liverpool supporters will be bothered about at all. Thanks but no thanks, Moreno.