Jurgen Klopp has explained that his side must defend better as their sluggish start to the season continued against Leeds at Anfield.
The Yorkshire outfit ended a nine-game winless streak after goals from Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville, either side of a Mo Salah effort, handed Jesse March’s side all three points.
Liverpool have now lost four of their opening 12 league games and the German tactician provided an assessment of the Reds’ performance following the game.
“Good start to the game, liked it, energetic like we should have,” Klopp said (via the Liverpool Echo). “Then we conceded an early freakish goal, nearly an own goal.
“Not helpful but we can equalise off the set-piece. Then a normal first half, with some good moments, bit unlucky and put them under pressure with a lot of set-pieces and corners.
“Half-time, we were telling the boys again where are the areas where we can cause them more problems. How we can adapt positioning-wise, because in the centre Leeds were very compact and the wings were a weak part.
“It’s where we created in the first half, we put them under pressure not with free-flowing football but the boys really tried. We had two big chances which we don’t use, that means the game is still open.
“Then we concede a second goal where it’s obvious you can’t defend it like that, it’s clear. A two v one situation on the wing but no challenge, for a second three v one but no challenge, they pass the ball through and we outnumber them but all of a sudden it’s two v one in the box and the ball is in the goal and Leeds win. That’s it pretty much.”
It was another frustrating night for the FA Cup champions with a number of players once again performing below par.
No disrespect to either side, but losing to Nottingham Forest and Leeds simply isn’t good enough when you have hopes of competing for the title and finishing in the top four.
A title challenge is now looking extremely unlikely and we also find ourselves eight points behind Newcastle who occupy the final Champions League spot at the moment.
After the huge defeat of Manchester City earlier this month many predicted us to kick on and find some consistency, but, in truth, our performance levels have dropped further since that victory.
We have just two league games to play before the campaign is disrupted by the World Cup but at the moment that break looks like it could do us some good – we’ll just have to wait and see.
Does Klopp really know what he is talking about? I don’t think he does. Days gone by, we used to see this Liverpool concede 3 and scoring 4. We were always on the edge of our seats waiting for that moment of wonder when even in the dying minutes of extra time Liverpool will score the winner. Liverpool was about scoring goals, goals, and more goals. Today the confused Klopp is talking about defending. Is that what he sees when he looks back to the woeful performances of this team? Then, we are in for a heart attack.