Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool have to “reinvent themselves” after Napoli punished an error-filled display and inflicted a 4-1 defeat that compounded their poor start to the Premier League campaign.
Having won just two of their first six Premier League games, the Reds began their Champions League quest in southern Italy just 102 days after losing last season’s final to Real Madrid.
The trip to Napoli always seemed like the toughest test for a group that also includes Ajax and Rangers, but few could have foreseen the error-filled display that would unfold at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Piotr Zielinski, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and substitute Giovanni Simeone scored in a first half that Liverpool were lucky to finish just three goals behind.
Victor Osimhen had seen a penalty saved in the first half shortly before Virgil van Dijk denied Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the line, and Zielinski scored again early in the second half. Luis Diaz responded shortly after but it was of little comfort to the visitors.
“You don’t think much after the game, you react more,” Liverpool manager Klopp said.
“We have to reinvent ourselves because the basic things were not there. It is a difficult period, there is no doubt about that.
“If you’re not playing exceptionally well, you can still defend at a really high level. We should be able to do that.
“The start of the game doesn’t help. If we want to defend better and concede a penalty after three minutes and the next, obviously you can’t do exactly that. Tonight we were stuck in the middle.
“But, even so, it is the work that needs to be done. That’s what I mean. It is not that we have to reinvent a new type of football.
“You always try to get better, but right now obviously everyone would be happy if we could play things similar to what we used to play.
“Tonight was the least compact performance I’ve seen in a long, long time from us…and from other teams as well.
“Napoli was very good but we made it easy for them because we lost the ball in areas and then the next situation was a counterattack. No, that’s not how it should be.
“Some things are really clear, we have to change that, and the reason why that is now is also becoming a little clearer.
“But I need time to say the right things because right now it’s not 100 percent clear.”
Klopp has reached out to traveling Liverpool fans to apologize after a “very disappointing night” in Naples.
The Reds hope their shaky start to the campaign has bottomed out with a loss that even raised questions about whether he was worried about his future given Chelsea’s sacking of Thomas Tuchel earlier that day.
He responded after the first Group A match: “Not really, but who knows? The difference obviously (is) that they are different types of owners.
“Our owners are pretty laid back and expect me to resolve the situation and don’t think someone else should.
“That’s how they always saw it and the day they change their minds, maybe they’ll tell me.”
As the injured Liverpool return home and refocus on Saturday’s home game against Wolves, Napoli fans will celebrate well into the night, even if their head coach keeps their feet on the ground.
“I think we need to be clear,” said Luciano Spalletti. “Yes, we are very happy, I enjoyed watching this performance first of all because Napoli put on a great performance against a top team like Liverpool.
“But I think we have to be clear: we must not be distracted by other situations.
“Most of all, you realize how happy you send the fans home after a match like this. I am very happy to see the smile on the faces of the fans, but we have to come back.”
