Huge  Jurgen Klopp brings triple reward to Liverpool as behind-the-scenes talks emerge

Mohamed Salah felt Liverpool looked like the ‘old’ me in Monday’s win over Everton and a gutsy trick from manager Jurgen Klopp was crucial in the move.

Just before 20 minutes into Monday night’s Merseyside Derby clash between Liverpool and Everton, Reds skipper Jordan Henderson filed a complaint.

Visiting goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had possession down the Everton right but Henderson knocked out his former Sunderland colleague so quickly he was forced to put the ball out of bounds.

It was a moment that epitomized Liverpool’s renewed fighting spirit and intensity that night and drew furious approval from the crowd at Anfield.

Before Monday’s game, Henderson had been benched for four consecutive games – his longest streak in Jurgen Klopp’s tenure. 18-year-old academy graduate Stefan Bajčetić was preferred alongside Thiago and in-form Naby Keïta.

But with Thiago suffering from a hip injury, Klopp repositioned his midfield for the Everton visit, dropping Keïta to the bench, bringing Bajčetić into his compatriot’s position and putting Fabinho and Henderson aside.

And the captain rewarded the manager’s confidence with one of his best performances of the season so far. Although still not at his best, Henderson was much closer than before for much of the campaign.

Klopp was delighted with his contribution to the win from both sides of the ball. Add to the comments below to share your thoughts

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And with the long-standing trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Henderson and Mohamed Salah reunited on that wing, the Egyptian in particular has been looking to capitalize on. His supply line was finally restored as he moved into a central role rather than clinging to the periphery

There were fears Liverpool would be overwhelmed in midfield by the athleticism and winning skills of Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucouré and Idrissa Gueye, but Henderson more than held his own in the fray.

And perhaps the 32-year-old also made an intangible contribution to the result through a meeting at the AXA Training Center.

“Henderson and [vice-captain James] Milner spoke last week about enjoying our football as we’ve been together for six years and have new players who play really well,” Salah revealed after the match (via Sky Sports).

The Egyptian thought the derby squad resembled “old Liverpool” but stressed the process had started “last week”, led by Henderson and Milner. His role in the victory was therefore threefold and included offensive combos, defensive contribution and leadership.

Ahead of the match, Klopp rallied to Henderson’s defence, questioning the focus on individuals amid the team’s collapse and insisting that “Hendo is not our problem, never was and never will be” (via This Is Anfield).

Privately, however, he would have hoped for a reaction when he made the decision to drop an offbeat Henderson.

It was a big call to leave out one of his most trusted players throughout his tenure at Anfield, but after Monday’s evidence it could have had exactly the desired effect.

In a season where he’s made a litany of mistakes, some linked to over-loyalty, that should count as good management from Klopp. The question now is whether Henderson can build on his performance and reclaim the number eight right.