The midfielder insisted to the club’s official website afterwards that it was “difficult to say why” they started slowly and fell behind within just a couple of minutes, but said that they failed to cope with Burnley’s direct approach.
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“[Possession] is what we did well”, Klopp said at the post-match news conference. Many supporters largely believed that the sale of Christian Benteke is what was delaying another purchase but Klopp reasserted his position following the defeat. Not only did they lose, but the Reds fell by a two goal margin, which seems like it would be pretty hard to do when your opponent only has the ball for 19% of the game. “If that was the case, how could I be here?”
“I know you [questioners] would all buy a left-back but a midfielder?” Emre has had a back problem but he warmed up OK and he could be on the bench. “But on the other side, he has no rhythm at the moment, which you can see”.
Speaking after the game, the boss was reluctant to place the blame on his defensive unit for the concession of two goals, instead preferring to highlight the fact that possession was surrendered cheaply on in both situations.
“It’s good that in football that you have the chance to show in the next game”, he added. And we lost concentration, and didn’t force them to make these defensive movements again.
It proved an effective tactic as the Reds struggled to create any genuine chances, with 25 shots bringing just five on target but none that really troubled goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Now we have to accept the result and carry on. And obviously on Saturday we deserved a defeat. The answer is I don’t know. It is not a defending problem it is an offensive problem.
“I thought we had 90% of possession, but I heard that in the second half it was only 87. Losing games are never off-days, but of course we have to take it”, he said.
“We know there is work to do, we are still in the market, want to keep improving but it will do the lads the world of good”.
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The Liverpool manager spent £60m on attacking midfielders Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum in the summer transfer window. We have a manager, though, who is confident in what he’s doing and the path he’s putting the players on.
