Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool’s defending for Leeds United’s winning goal last night was ‘unnecessary.’
Speaking to BBC Sport after the Reds fell to a 2-1 defeat, Klopp called the defending his biggest disappointment of a sobering evening.
“The biggest disappointment of the game is actually how we defend the second goal, because that’s really unnecessary,” said the Liverpool manager.
“The first is unlucky, but the second one cannot happen, really. But it happened and that’s why we lose the game. If we draw the game, I don’t think anyone’s smiling in my face with a point against Leeds, but I would have easily taken it. Because our situation is not easy, and to fight through you need the little things as well. Now we stand here with absolutely nothing and that feels completely different.”
Liverpool lacking all over the place
Where do you start with what went wrong for Liverpool last night? Long before the second goal went in, their defending was all over the place.
Joe Gomez had a big opportunity to show that he should now be Virgil Van Dijk’s regular partner at the back. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, he could hardly have done more to prove the opposite.
It wasn’t just Gomez, though. Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho couldn’t seem to find a red shirt at times. Touches were continuously going astray under the slippery Anfield surface.
Meanwhile, Virgil Van Dijk continues to look like a player who simply doesn’t want to be out there.
It’s an old adage in football, and sometimes it isn’t true. But last night, Leeds simply wanted it more. Their crowd wanted it more and their players wanted it more.
Liverpool were seemingly content to rest on their good form at Anfield as a means of escaping with a point. That didn’t work, and when the actual defending had to be done, Liverpool weren’t up to it.
Many of a Red persuasion would rather not look at the table right now. But defeat next weekend at Tottenham would see them 13 points away from their top-four rivals. At this rate, Liverpool are actually closer to the relegation places than the Champions League slots.
Something has to change, this simply can’t go on.
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