Jurgen Klopp Should Seek January Signings as Injuries Mount in Sunderland Win

Signing off 2015 with a 1-0 win away to relegation candidates Sunderland may not have been the triumphant end to the year that Liverpool supporters were expecting following Jurgen Klopp's appointment as manager in October, but this slight Stadium of Light victory puts the Reds in a strong position heading into the new year.

A single goal from Christian Benteke sealed the three points for Klopp's side, as a Sam Allardyce-led Black Cats produced some bright movements in attack but ultimately failed to trouble returning goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

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This win saw Mignolet register his 16th Premier League clean sheet of the year, securing his status as the goalkeeper with the most shut-outs in the English top flight in 2015—a bemusing honour, given the widespread criticism of the Belgian over the past two seasons, but one that should serve to encourage.

It also sees Liverpool enter 2016 in seventh place in the Premier League table, just five points off fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and, remarkably, only nine adrift from league leaders Arsenal.

The chasing pack find themselves in a similar position, however, with West Ham United (eighth), Watford (ninth) and Stoke City (10th) all just one point behind Klopp's Reds.

But the narrow margins at the top of the table in 2015/16 show the significance of this victory—a hard-fought 1-0 win saw Liverpool flex their muscles by grinding out a result, and Klopp was pleased with his side's work on the night, speaking to the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield) after the game:

"

30 points feels much better than 27—more than three points better to be honest.

You can see how close how it is. The 'best teams in the league' have six or seven more points than we have after 19 games, so it’s not that much but it’s also a lot.

We don’t have to think about this. January is coming now and we play in three days. This was the squad we had at this moment, not a player more.

Everybody needs a little bit of luck, and we will see.

"

Referencing the upcoming January transfer window, however, the 48-year-old may have struck upon a gold mine for the rumour-mongering press and could well have indicated his impending plans for the winter market.

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He was, of course, correct to praise his side's performance, with strong contributions flowing from defence to attack.

The blossoming partnership of Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho at centre-back, for example, with the former the unlikely calming presence and the latter serving as the aggressive, front-footed stopper, looks to be offering Klopp a long-term option at the heart of his defence.

Elsewhere, the well-tuned tandem of Jordan Henderson and Emre Can in Klopp's two-man midfield showed true quality, with the youthful pair enjoying a strong understanding at the nucleus of Liverpool's 4-2-3-1.

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Behind Benteke, the intelligent movement, guile and grace of Roberto Firmino provided the Reds with their attacking linchpin, and while the Brazilian failed to fire any of his opportunities beyond the impressive Vito Mannone, his development in the No. 10 role under Klopp is hugely encouraging.

Scoring just 22 seconds after kicking off the second half, Benteke's improvement in the final 45 minutes—with neat flicks, intelligent hold-up play and a genuine variety of movement—was a real marker of progress, providing a stark contrast to his poor contribution before the interval.

Benteke revealed he held crisis talks with Klopp ahead of Wednesday night's clash, telling the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield) "we had a 'man conversation' and I think it is going to help me and help the team," before concluding "I think I have to run more and I have to be there for my team-mates."

The former Aston Villa man's position within Klopp's starting lineup at the Stadium of Light, however, is a salient one heading into the January transfer window, as injuries continue to pile up for Liverpool.

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Benteke was a guaranteed starter for Liverpool's trip to Sunderland, following injury to Klopp's three other senior centre-forward options in Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge and, most recently, Divock Origi, with the latter, according to the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, "expected to be sidelined until mid-January with a hamstring strain."

Elsewhere in midfield, the absences of James Milner and Jordan Rossiter through injury, and Joe Allen with a virus, gave Klopp only three options when it came to filling the middle of the park, with Lucas Leiva a fortunate reserve after Henderson limped off on the hour mark.

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Meanwhile, the presence of Kolo Toure, Connor Randall and Brad Smith on the substitutes' bench as defensive backup underlined the lack of depth within Klopp's squad.

While Toure boasts considerable top-level experience, and both Randall and Smith have shown promise when called upon this season, injury to any of Lovren, Sakho or full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno would put Klopp in a compromising situation heading into a busy January schedule.

Of Klopp's seven-man bench on Wednesday, four players—Randall (20), Smith (21), Jordon Ibe (20) and Joao Carlos Teixeira (22)—were aged 22 or under, with only 31 Premier League appearances between them.

Taking on West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester United in the league in January—all rivals for a top-four spot—as well as a League Cup semi-final against Stoke, an FA Cup third-round tie away to Exeter City and another testing league clash at Norwich City's Carrow Road, Klopp will need all the bodies he can get to secure maximum points.

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This is where the potential of the January transfer window comes into play.

Speaking to the Independent's Carl Markham earlier in December, Klopp said "I am not the biggest friend of the January transfer window but if we have to react to it we will react to it."

His later comments on using the January transfer window to "react" to injuries within his squad are magnified following this win on Wearside:

"

Maybe we have to react if we have another injury because we have a lot of games in the transfer window.

We are not planning only to get more and more players, that is not how I think we should work, but if we have to react we will do it.

"

Having lost Origi in Boxing Day's 1-0 win over Leicester City, and with Henderson possibly joining a growing list of absentees following his withdrawal on Wednesday night, Klopp may now assess his squad and decide it requires reinforcement this January.

He would be wise to remind himself of his relationship with the January window and not go overboard, of course, but having experienced the misery of an injury-laden squad in his final season at Borussia Dortmund, it may be necessary.

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With a lack of cover at full-back, centre-back and in midfield dawning on the Liverpool squad heading into January, one widely reported target emerges as the perfect option: Schalke's versatile defender Joel Matip.

Boasting significant experienced and able to play on either defensive flank, at the base of the midfield and in his natural position at centre-back, Matip would be the ideal addition at this stage.

With the Mirror's Alex Richards suggesting that "a figure in the region of £4 million" could seal the Cameroonian's move away from Gelsenkirchen six months before the expiry of his contract, it represents a no-brainer for Klopp.

The January transfer window may not be his "biggest friend," but to ensure Liverpool keep momentum throughout a hectic winter and continue their push for a top-four finish, the Reds may require additions.

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