Liverpool — Jurgen Klopp stated on Monday that his team has conceded too many similar goals this season and that the players may need to “get back to fundamentals” in order to return to winning ways.
Klopp’s squad, renowned for their counter-pressing tactics that helped Liverpool compete on all four fronts last season, have conceded goals and preserved only two clean sheets in all competitions this year.
A 3-3 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion put Liverpool to ninth in the Premier League standings, and manager Jurgen Klopp stated that the team will have to emerge from the crisis in a similar fashion to when they lost multiple defenders due to injury two seasons ago.
Klopp stated prior to Tuesday’s Champions League group match against Rangers, “When you identify a problem and believe you have a solution, you expect the remedy to be fast and significant; nevertheless, this is seldom the case in football.”
“We’ve surrendered similar goals recently, and they’ve been scored through the same openings. The issue we face is a courageous defense…
When our defensive timing is off, we’re too vulnerable. Therefore, we must be more compact.
“Defense is an art, and it served us well for a very long period. But since it’s not working, you realize you must return to the fundamentals…
“We cannot always begin again. If we can teach the boys alternative methods of defense, we must do so.”
Klopp linked Liverpool’s confidence crisis to Cristiano Ronaldo’s decline in form, which led to the Manchester United forward being benched. Liverpool have only won three games so far this season.
“Do you believe that Cristiano Ronaldo is currently at the peak of his confidence? It happens to everyone. Lionel Messi’s performance last season (at Paris Saint-Germain) was very identical,” Klopp continued.
“You must take a step in the correct path, and when you’re ready… Once we regain our patience and do the right thing, we will be fine again.”
Rangers lost all of their group games without scoring to go to the bottom of Group A, and Klopp expects the Scottish club – who lost the Europa League final on penalties last season – to be pumped up following Saturday’s 4-0 league victory over Hearts.
“A good football team coached well. They had an outstanding season in Europe last year,” stated Klopp.
“I saw the most recent Hearts match… We expect a proper fight, therefore we prepare accordingly.”