JURGEN KLOPP has never doubted Liverpool’s quality and was pleased by the way his side bounced back from their latest setback by overcoming in-form Napoli in the Champions League.
Having gone closer than any side in English football history to winning an unprecedented quadruple, things have gone awry since just falling short in the Premier League and Champions League at the end of last season.
Klopp’s Jekyll-and-Hyde side lost 2-1 at home to embattled Leeds on Saturday evening, leading him to reject talk that this Liverpool squad had reached the end of its useful lifespan.
The German’s team responded to that loss with a 2-0 win against Napoli on Tuesday, with late goals from Mohamed Salah and substitute Darwin Nunez sealing a 2-0 triumph as they qualified from Group A as runners-up.
“The reaction I wanted to see,” Klopp said after the Anfield victory. “We all agreed that we have to show a reaction and we did in a very difficult game against a really good opponent.
“We don’t doubt the quality. I don’t think anybody doubts that quality but that’s part of the problem. We don’t show it with consistency.
“That’s why I mention the second goal against Leeds as an example for our situation. We are chasing the game even when it’s around our 18-yard box. You can see nobody wants to have a throw-in for Leeds, then they can let time run down, and no-one protects the box, pretty much, because everyone thinks we have three players out there and we will win the ball.
“That’s a little bit of the situation we are in. That’s where we have to make a proper step back and tonight we did that.
“When we defended, we defended with all we have tonight. We were really compact, really close to the challenges and then in the challenges we showed the determination we have to show.
“We are Liverpool, a top team. Nobody forgot what we did last year, the boys didn’t forget that but it’s now not important, really.
“I know people might get sick of it when I say it but we really have to fight through and at the moment the football has a good chance to come back, the real football we can play.
“But we showed tonight everything. We showed pieces of really, really, really good football and the defensive stuff was on a high level.
“Napoli is in the moment a real force and so it could have been extremely difficult for us tonight but the boys played a really good game.
“Again, consistency, stability is what we need to get.
“We will take the good stuff out of this game and then start the next fight against Tottenham.”
Salah’s 85th-minute effort saw him equal club great Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool European goal record of 41.
The Egypt international directed home after Nunez’s initial effort was saved, before the substitute scored for a third straight European game with the last kick in stoppage time.
“Absolutely good,” Klopp said of Nunez’s impact.
“In these games, for us, it was obviously not a game for massive rotation because of the situation, but a little bit we had to and that’s why we didn’t start all three (regular forwards) because we have to see how we get through a goal.
“Curtis (Jones) did really well in an unfamiliar position for him.
“When you can bring on a fresh player with the quality of Darwin, it’s very helpful.”
The only potential negative on Tuesday evening was James Milner went off injured for the already depleted Reds early in the second half.
Asked about the severity of the issue, Klopp said: “Don’t know. He seemed to be fine now but we have to probably do further checks.”
Playing against the form side in Europe, that’s a stellar result for Liverpool. Was never going to be easy but a clean sheet and solid performance. Next round please.
Except they played poorly and were lucky to win. Fabinho, Van Dijk, Trent, Salah all shadows of their former selves. It will be a long season at Anfield.
@Elrond Rivendell: Yet Liverpool had 14 shots on goal and 6 on target. Compared to 10/2 for Napoli. Did you even watch the game?
@Elrond Rivendell: Perhaps you were watching a different game!
Well done Liverpool. You won a match that had no significance for anyone, especially Napoli. The football world will be quaking in their boots.
@John Fagan: fully agreed
It’s gonna be a long miserable season for the red men. Don’t worry tho, at least Klopp gives hugs LOL
Almighty Joe prepare to be disappointed and get used to it.
@Kevin Byrne: At the moment, my only disappointment is in the quality of your trolling. Substandard at best.
@Almight Joe: they’ve been waiting in dark little corners sharpening their little knives just waiting for a bit of indifferent form from Liverpool.
Let’s see where everyone ends up at the end of the season Utd supporters ;-)
@Damien Leen: alright Trigger
@Aidy McBride: Yes Aidy, Liverpool and Klopp still living rent free in your head I see. Sad to see how low utd have fallen when just finishing above Liverpool is seen as a target for success
@Michael McGrath: how low united have fallen? They are 7 points ahead of Liverpool ffs
@Aidy McBride: Fallen. When was United’s last major trophy. Relegated to Europa League football. Spurned by all the top players in the world and even the rubbish ones. 10 years since their last league trophy. Spending 100s of million on Maguire, Wan Bissaka, Fred, Sancho, Bailly, Lindelof etc. To say United have fallen is a complete understatement. They are a joke of a club but make it really entertaining when they continue to fail. Especially when “rabbit in the headlights” posters in here continue to think they are a big team. Get back into the big boys European league first and we’ll talk business then. Otherwise enjoy your Thursday nights in 2nd division European football.
@Aidy McBride: oh no no Trigger .. you’re most certainly the Dumb-a$$ here kid ..
@Almight Joe: one title in 32 years, Liverpool are a joke. Look at the money they spent trying to win that solitary title too, clowns. Enjoy the fall. And mind the gap.
@Aidy McBride: since Liverpool won the Champions league in 2005, they have spent less money on transfers than United have since they last won the league in 2013.
Since 2013, Liverpool have won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, Super Cup and World Club Cup.
United have won an FA Cup, a League Cup, a Community Shield and the Europa League and outspent Liverpool by 550 million euro during that time.
Whatever you say about current form, United haven’t been a real force since Ferguson left and Liverpool playing badly doesn’t change that
@Michael Mullins: what’s the spend from 1990 then to the present day? 13 league titles, done 3 in a row twice, won multiple doubles, a treble. Its something the current Liverpool team could only dream about.
@Aidy McBride: if you go back to 1990 United have spent about 470 million more, though their balance since then is about 830 million worse than Liverpool’s.
You’re right, United were more successful by far during the Ferguson years. Liverpool have been more successful since he left and done it with far less money. If you go back before Ferguson, Liverpool were more successful.
Liverpool are in a slump at the moment and United are probably improving somewhat, but are still nowhere near challenging for the league or anything meaningful in Europe. Liverpool’s form doesn’t make United better than they are. Some people on here might have annoyed you with comments, but frankly you are the one perpetuating the childishness now.
@Michael Mullins: I never related Liverpool form to Uniteds form. United are improving because they got a manager that knows what he’s doing and decisions upstairs aren’t being made by clowns.