Jurgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool’s faltering form reminds him of one of the worst slumps in his Anfield career.
Klopp cut a philosophical figure as he looked ahead to a landmark Champions League meeting with Rangers on Merseyside and reflected on a stuttering start to the Premier League season which has seen them win only two of their opening seven fixtures.
“It’s only two years ago when we had a very similar situation but for different reasons,” said Klopp. “We had to find solutions and we lost our game completely. No-one could recognise us any more - we just wore the same shirts. We could not react as people would wish but we found a way out because we worked on it and that is what we will do this time.”
Klopp was referring to a period in the 2020/21 season when Liverpool won only three of 14 Premier League matches, although the “different reasons” included losing his first-choice centre-halves and the absence of crowds. But he is clearly concerned with his side’s form and admitted there could be a confidence issue.
Klopp went on: “People can ask how could it happen that these players are not full of confidence? Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo at this moment is at the top of his confidence levels? He was for ages the best player in the world and now it is not going his way and it is not exactly the same. That happens to all of us.
“ Lionel Messi played last season where it was not exactly the same because these kind of things are really important to all of us and you have to work for it, you have to do and to take the little things to take a step in the right direction. In individual sports maybe you can fight yourself through it but in a team sport we all have to do it together and that makes it a bit more complicated.”
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Klopp admits he has defensive problems to solve but also knows last season’s Champions League finalists need to improve in every area of the pitch. He explained: “We have to improve, we have to play better, consistently better, defend better, attack better, pretty much everything.
“We concede now similar goals. The special problem we have is we have a really brave way of defending usually and when the timing in our defending is not perfect, we leave a gap open. We have to be more compact. Defending worked for us really long really well but when it is not working out you realise how much you go back to the basics and defend solid again.”
Against a team who have lost both of their first two Champions League games, Liverpool look to have an ideal opportunity to generate some confidence and form but Klopp expects a stern challenge from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men. He said: “They are a good team, they are well coached, had an exceptional season last year and qualified for the Champions League.
“You saw in the last game against Hearts (a 4-0 win), they are a really good football team and that is what we have to prepare for. They have also had results they don’t want and they will definitely want to change that. We expect a proper fight, a real fight.”
