JURGEN KLOPP ACKNOWLEDGED Liverpoolโs 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town was a โbig reliefโ as his side returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday.
After last Sundayโs harrowing 4-1 loss to Tottenham at Wembley left them with just one win in their last six league outings, Liverpool were under pressure to produce a response in front of their own fans at Anfield.
The hosts laboured against resolute opponents in the first half, albeit they missed a glorious chance to go ahead before the interval when Mohamed Salah saw his penalty saved by Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl.
However, Kloppโs demand for his players to be more positive paid off after the break, Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum all finding the net to secure three much-needed points.
โWe had not the best week as you can imagine โ itโs not that we donโt take the situation really seriously, itโs really important for us,โ Klopp told the clubโs website.
โTottenham was the worst game weโve played in this season so far and you cannot ignore it, but you have to work with it and thatโs what we did.
โIt can happen, especially with the style Huddersfield played today โ a rather defensive style and we were a little bit stiff. It was not fluent, we had too many players behind the ball, it was clear we wanted to give them no opportunity for counter-attack and stuff like this, but you donโt need seven players behind the ball to protect the counter-attack.
โThatโs how it looked a little bit in the first half, so it was not too difficult to fix at half-time. You could see immediately in the second half really, we had more players between the decisive lines and so it was more difficult for Huddersfield to defend.
โWe had more chances, but itโs a big relief to be honest because the pressure was there. There is no doubt about that. I could hear that people didnโt like the first half too much, I know itโs hard work but in the end probably nobody remembers the first half because the second half was really much better.โ
Klopp went up against fellow German David Wagner for the first time in a competitive fixture, with the two putting their strong friendship to one side for 90 minutes.
Visiting manager Wagner โ who received a kiss on the cheek from his compatriot straight after the final whistle โ felt Huddersfield performed admirably to silence the home crowd before a poor header from Tommy Smith set up Sturridge to break the deadlock.
โIt is not very often you see Liverpool so quiet for 60 minutes,โ he told BBC Sport.
โThe first goal was a problem for us. We did not have the best position to defend the long ball and we gave the assist for the first goal unfortunately.
โI am disappointed because the players have given good effort and worked hard. The game changed after that first goal. It looked very well until we conceded that first goal.โ
Itโs been a stop start season for Klopp with the Coutinho mess, Maneโs red card, suspension and injury along with Lallanaโs injury but still only 3 points off top 4 and going well in the Championโs League despite everything.
But why didnโt he buy a decent centre half after letting Sakho go? Crazy stuff and it looks like costing Klopp and Liverpoolโs season.
@James Quinn: Jurgen Flopp
@Kieran Hughes: originality wouldnโt be one of your best attributes Iโd say
@James Quinn: new season, new excuse YNWA youโll never win aโฆ. premier league throphy
@Ich bin brendan: whats a throphy?
Look at the Liverpool fans getting excited about beating a newly-promoted team at home. Haha absolutely hilarious.
@Brian: spanner
@Olllie B: stop ruining his buzz
@Brian: yeah laughing my head off not???? The same team that bet utd
@Chris Perrey: the team above pool.. Try and catch up
Wn this week and next weekend and go into international break on a high, Boom!!