Liverpool may have smashed AC Milan 4-1 in a friendly on Friday, but Jurgen Klopp remains well aware of how much his side need to improve over the second half of their season.
So much so, the German coach was spotted yelling at Roberto Firmino during the match after the Brazilian wasn't doing as instructed. Despite leading 1-0 in Dubai thanks to Mohamed Salah 's early goal, which would later be followed by Darwin Nunez 's brace and a Thiago Alcantara strike, Klopp was as demanding as ever on the touchline and wasn't pleased with Firmino's application.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the Reds boss could be heard shouting: "Quicker! Much too slow!" and "Bobby! You know what needs doing!" towards his striker. It isn't something that Klopp has had to do often this season, as Firmino has been enjoying a resurgence at Anfield amid reports that Liverpool are now keen to extend his contract which expires at the end of this season.
Even with that in mind, Klopp knows he can't afford to let even his best-performing players drop below their lofty standards if the Reds are secure a Champions League finish come May. It's clearly a feeling amongst their squad, too, as defender Andy Robertson recently admitted that his side need to get back to the levels of intensity which we've all come to expect throughout Klopp's reign.
"We've been working a lot on pressing, counter-pressing and choosing our moments because in games we've not done that enough at times and in some games, we've sort of half-pressed," Scotland international Robertson told the Echo, explaining Klopp's fury with Firmino's half-heartedness against AC Milan.
"That is the worst thing you can do because if you go into it and you're not 100 per cent, that's when teams can pick you off. We've done that in a few games this season.
"But then again, in other games we've been excellent at it. Manchester City, Ajax, Tottenham; we've been looking at all the good games where the pressing came from. We've been so good [generally] at sitting in our block, picking our moments and knowing when to press. And if we've lost the ball then we have reacted so quickly.
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The 28-year-old left-back added: "If you were to ask Liverpool fans or fans of other clubs, you know, 'how do you describe Liverpool in the last five years?' I think the answers would be the press offensively, as it's been so good. At times it's not been good enough this season, so it's important we try and get that impulse back and get that part of our game to the maximum consistently.
At times we've done it really well but it's about being able to make sure we're all pressing at the same time and on the same page and we can sit back when it's the right moment. That is where this week has been really beneficial. We've worked on it this week, we worked on it against Lyon [Sunday's friendly which Liverpool lost 3-1] and I am sure we will do the same."
If the Reds can press relentlessly in the Middle Eastern heat, then doing it back in England this winter shouldn't be so hard.
