JURGEN KLOPP ADMITS Liverpool have to “reinvent” themselves after Napoli punished an error-strewn display and inflicted a 4-1 loss that compounded their poor start to the Premier League campaign.
Having have won just two of their opening six Premier League matches, the Reds kicked off their Champions League quest in southern Italy just 102 days from losing last season’s final to Real Madrid.
The trip to Napoli always looked like the toughest test of a group that also includes Ajax and Rangers, but few could have foreseen the error-strewn display that would unfold at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Piotr Zielinski, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and substitute Giovanni Simeone scored in a first half that Liverpool were fortunate to end only three goals behind.
Victor Osimhen had seen a first-half penalty saved shortly before Virgil van Dijk denied Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the line, with Zielinski scoring again at the start of a second half. Luis Diaz responded soon after but it was little consolation for the visitors.
“You don’t think a lot after the game, you react more,” Liverpool boss Klopp said.
We have to kind of reinvent ourselves because basic things were not there. It’s a difficult period, no doubt about that.
“If you’re not playing exceptionally well, you still can defend on 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 one, obviously you cannot exactly do that. Tonight we were caught in-between.
“But, still, it’s the job to do. That’s what I mean. It’s not that we have to reinvent a new kind of football.
“You always try to improve but in this moment, obviously, everybody would be happy if we could just play similar stuff to what we used to play.
Tonight was the least compact performance I saw for a long, long time from us… and [from] other teams as well.
“Napoli was really good but we made it easy for them because we lost the ball in areas and then the next situation was a counter-attack. No, that’s not how it should be.
A few things are really clear, we have to change that, and the reason why it’s now like this is getting a bit more clearer as well. But I need time for just saying the right things because at the moment it’s not 100% clear.
Klopp went over to Liverpool’s travelling fans to apologise following a “very disappointing night” in Naples.
The Reds will be hoping their stuttering start to the campaign has bottomed out with a loss that even led to a question as to whether he worried about his future given Thomas Tuchel’s sacking by Chelsea earlier in the day.
He replied after the Group A opener: “Not really but who knows? The difference, obviously: they are different kind of owners.
“Our owners are rather calm and expect me to sort the situation and not think that someone else should sort it.
“That’s how they always saw it and on the day when they change their thoughts then they might tell me.”
While wounded Liverpool return home and refocus on Saturday’s home game against Wolves, Napoli fans will celebrate long into the night – even if their head coach is keeping his feet on the ground.
“I think we need to be clear,” Luciano Spalletti said. “Yes, we are very happy, I enjoyed watching this performance first and foremost because Napoli produced a great performance against a top team like Liverpool.
“But I think we need to be clear: we mustn’t get distracted by other situations.
“Above all, you realise just how happy you send the fans home after a game like this. I am very pleased to see the smile on the supporters’ faces but we need to go again.”
Liverpool are done. Milner, Henderson and Firmino are too old. Mane and Wijnaldum, two of their most consistent players, allowed to leave. Their replacements Thiago and Keith spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. Van Dijk is a good centre halve but his poor form is highlighting the lack of a decent partner for him. As for Salah? He looks like he has one eye on a move out of Anfield. Klopp will need a miracle to turn things around there.
@John Fagan: and the whole squad is burned out as a side affect of klopps high intensity style , same thing happened at dortmund.
@John Fagan: yeah the new guy Keith is really struggling in Manes old position. Good take.
@John Fagan: Didn’t Salah just sign a new contract at Liverpool over the summer? “Too old” Firmino who scored a brace and 3 assists just two weeks ago? Van Dijk’s main CB partner, Matip, is just back from injury. Mane wanted to leave but they signed Diaz who has been pretty prolific so far and Nunez so I’m not sure things are as bleak as you’re saying – and I’m not a Liverpool fan even
@John Fagan: we’ll see come the end of the season just how ‘done’ we are.
@Cathal Jenkinson: first of all Firminos brace and assists were against Bournemouth in a 9-0 hammering. Salah will come good, he’s too good of a player not too. In relation to VVD again he has, for some obvious and some less obvious reasons, been poor but should improve. It’s Midfield and using the high line where pool struggle. Thiago and Keita are injury prone and Henderson getting on. I think they’ll still get too 4 and get out of the group in the CL but that’s about it.
@Damien Leen: indeed we will
@John Fagan: as they where done 2 years ago. It’s great insights you find from opposing supporters.
@Gareth Keenan: Very harsh on Keith.
@Getard Lanslanger: I thought so too!
There’s no doubt Liverpool will bounce back. But the bar they set for themselves was incredible. It was almost 110% in 9 games out of 10. They’ll come back again but can’t see them getting close to city this year. Genuinely think there’s a good race on for 2nd across all the rest. Liverpool favourites but other teams now raising the bar themselves at the right time.
Liverpool s problems were evident long before Napoli game , and if you keep persisting doing the same thing and look for better then it’s called delusion . Keita is injured and all of a sudden he is fit for his country , something in the off field department needs sorting first imo .The high line is great if your mid field first does it’s job and I will include firmino in that department because he drops to bolster it , and the space that this leaves when people don’t work is obvious to all .
Always thought a manager’s job(generic, not just football) was to understand the scope, scale and changing nature of the environment within which they operate and adjust appropriately BEFORE the sh!t hits the fan.
Only a verbal agreement for potter at Chelsea , time to klippity klop down the road to london!!