LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp has called on his side to defend better as they seek to end their poor form tomorrow night against Wolves in an FA Cup third round replay.
The Reds were beaten 3-0 in a Premier League fixture at Brighton on Saturday and have conceded eight goals in their last three matches, losing two of those games.
The second of those three games was a 2-2 draw with Wolves in the FA Cup at Anfield, and there will be a replay at Molinuex tomorrow night for a fourth round spot.
Klopp believes the first step on the road to recovery is making sure Liverpool defend better, starting tomorrow.
“The issues we had were obvious. In the end, these are football problems. To play better football than we did at Brighton should not be too difficult,” Klopp told reporters during his pre-match press conference today.
“We have to be more compact. The pitch looks too big when we are defending. You have to go back to basics and from there you can make steps.
“We have to do some things slightly different and some things the same. All the success in football starts with solid defending and that’s what we have to do again.”
Klopp will likely make changes against Wolves as he seeks to freshen up his sluggish side.
“We need fresh legs. The easy thing for me is to sit here and tell the boys ‘At Brighton you put us in the situation so let’s see how you can get us out of it’,” he added.
“But that would mean I am out of responsibility and I just can’t (say that).”
Klopp signed Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven earlier in January and would like to make further additions to salvage the campaign.
“We look outside as well. If solutions for us were out there, available and do-able of course we would bring in players to help. But we have an existing squad as well and we are under performing,” Klopp said.
“Yes we have limited options but we have players with a contract here, they are just not available.
“Our squad is not too small. Do we have to strengthen? Oh yes. Is this the right moment to do it? I can’t see it because of the situation we are in.”
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