Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Friday, September 9.
Jurgen Klopp's hidden message might hint at new beginning
It was bad enough viewing the first time around. Jurgen Klopp, though, knew there was no other option than to spend part of Thursday watching a re-run of the previous night’s horror show at Napoli, writes Ian Doyle.
And the video nasty will surely prove instructive as the Liverpool boss sifts through the wreckage of an alarming Champions League evening.
“I really think it makes sense to watch the game back and try to understand and have the right message for the boys, because that’s the most important thing,” said Klopp as he fielded questions deep within the bowels of a Stadio Diego Armando Maradona still resonating with the shockwaves from his team’s 4-1 defeat.
READ MORE: Andy Robertson fumes as James Milner sends Mohamed Salah message in Liverpool defeat
READ MORE: Callum Wilson sends message to 'sore' Liverpool fans over Newcastle tactics
Ensuring there is no panic will be the immediate concern, along with lifting spirits and confidence with the relentless schedule bringing a Premier League visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. There is simply no time for Liverpool to feel sorry for themselves.
But it was telling Klopp declined the invitation to retract his immediate post-match assessment the Reds need to reinvent themselves with a return to basics.
As the boss himself admitted, it wasn’t difficult to see where the issues lay in midweek. With too many poor individual defensive performances, an absent of midfield cohesion and a largely misfiring attack, the reality is Liverpool did well to keep the margin of defeat down to three goals, even if it did represent their heaviest European defeat in 56 years.
Some of the problems have an immediate fix. Certainly, reminding Liverpool players to be more alert and not ball-watch - as the strangely static Trent Alexander-Arnold did for Napoli’s second goal - is straightforward enough.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Jurgen Klopp hits back at Liverpool transition claims with Man City point
Jurgen Klopp has explained why he thinks Manchester City are “in transition” even more than Liverpool this season.
The Reds have undergone changes to their squad for this campaign, with both incoming and outgoing transfer business. Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi left the club, with Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay, Fabio Carvalho and Arthur Melo arriving.
For City, they have had changes to their squad too. Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Sergio Gomez, Manuel Akanji and Kalvin Phillips were added to their ranks, with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus leaving the club.
With both clubs being busy in the transfer market, Klopp has spoken about how he thinks Man City are in “transition” like Liverpool this season.
"[Erling] Haaland is an exceptional footballer and of course they have become stronger because of him,” Klopp told German news outlet Sport1 .
“You just have to know - Pep (Guardiola) sees this just as much as I do - that the team has to be reshuffled from time to time.
“We also gained players and lost one (Sadio Mané) who almost always played. And that will take time. That applies to City as well as to us.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
READ NEXT:
- Former Liverpool star Adam Lallana set for first coaching role after Graham Potter's move to Chelsea
- Jurgen Klopp responds to 'sacking' question with point about Liverpool owners FSG
- 'Keep up' - Jamie Carragher fires back at Danny Murphy over Liverpool 'excuses' claim
- Jurgen Klopp explains gesture to Liverpool fans in away end after defeat at Napoli
- Liverpool youngsters avoid Jurgen Klopp issue as 33-goal forward makes step up
