Following the “worst game we’ve played since I’ve been here”, Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to focus first on defense to improve their fortunes.
In Klopp’s words, the 4-1 loss to Napoli on Wednesday night was a “real horror show” and “the worst game we have played” since his appointment in 2015.
Those are strong statements, but there is little doubt how poor Liverpool were in their Champions League opener.
That result had also been coming, with the Reds going through the opening weeks of the season, already suffering defeat at Man United and drawn with Fulham, Crystal Palace and Everton.
A 9-0 win over Bournemouth was an anomaly; a game in which, as Klopp described in his pre-Ajax press conference, they were clearly not required to focus on “where it all begins”.
“I saw the game many times and it was a real horror show, to be honest,” he said of the defeat in Naples.
“We show the children the situation as well. They knew it, but then seeing it again makes it really obvious.
“That was the worst game we’ve played since I’ve been here.
“We’ve had some bad games, we all know that, probably Aston Villa and a few others where we just weren’t up to speed, but there were always glimpses of us even in these games.
“In this particular game, nothing.
“So obviously you have to understand why that happens. I think that is not something common, I think it is something individual.
“I think eight or nine of the 11 were absolutely below the level that they can normally play, and the other three were not at the top level but in a normal game.
“In football, it’s like this: you solve all individual problems as a team. That’s the first thing we have to do, go back to following a common idea.
“Everything we’ve done since I’ve been here and everything my teams do in football is based on really solid defense, if not almost perfect.
“That’s where it all starts and that’s where we had to work. That’s what we did.”
Re-emphasizing the need for a strong defense is essential, with Liverpool keeping just two clean sheets in seven games so far this season and conceding the first goal in the other five.
It follows a trend that began in the closing months of last season, and Klopp has asked his players to build their confidence by “winning challenges.”
after that game [the mood was affected]sure, but now not in training because we have to build again”, he continued.
“But how can you gain confidence in a soccer game? Winning challenges, that’s right.
“If you take specific things for granted, it’s obviously a mistake, but these kinds of things can happen.
“We all have to realize again that everything starts from defending, from all our people, that is what we have to give ourselves: the opportunity to celebrate winning a challenge again.
“It’s been a long time since we talked about this kind of thing, but it’s still the beginning of almost everything. That’s what you have to do.
“And if you can do that, then you can get some kind of boost. If you have drive then you can play football.
“I don’t remember any good game in which a team played flawlessly offensively and was a disaster defensively. It does not work like that.
“But there are a lot of games where teams defend very well and don’t play as well offensively.
“So it’s all based on a real defense. That is what we have to do and that is what we will have to prove.
“I’m pretty sure our people will help us with that as well.”
Joel Matip is set to return to the starting lineup for Ajax’s visit, having joined the manager for press duties at Anfield on Monday afternoon.
“Yes, there was a big focus on defense, because this is the most important thing to be successful,” he agreed.
“I think this is the first step: defend well.
“I think it always helps to go back to your roots, if they are successful roots. Based on this, it can help you in a difficult time.”
At 31, Matip is now one of the most experienced players in Klopp’s squad, and as he prepares to replace Joe Gomez again, he acknowledged that he “would need to lead.”
“We need to talk to each other and we need to help each other,” he added.
“You cannot get out of this as a person, only as a team. For this you need your teammates and you need to help your teammates.
“If you are older and have experience, you should do it.”
