Dirk Kuyt has backed Jurgen Klopp to turn Liverpool's early season misfortune around, starting with Tuesday's Champions League clash with Ajax at Anfield.
The Reds got their European campaign underway on Wednesday in disastrous fashion in Naples, as they were thrashed 4-1 by Luciano Spalletti's side at the Diego Armando Maradonna Stadium.
It represented the latest low point of the club's early season struggles, having taken just nine points from their opening six Premier League fixtures.
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However, because of the condensed European calendar - due to the World Cup mid-season break - the Reds are back in Champions League action this week against Dutch champions Ajax, who humbled Rangers 4-0 on Wednesday evening.
But former Liverpool man Kuyt has backed his old club to send a message to the rest of Europe on Tuesday evening at Anfield, as they look to put their early season woes behind them with a commanding performance against Eredivisie giants.
“If the club is having a bad time, like this period, the crowd often creates an atmosphere of invincibility," Kuyt told the Mirror. "I would be very surprised if Ajax can play well against Liverpool under that intense pressure.
“He [ Klopp ] is still searching for the right mechanism in midfield and in attack. That doesn't surprise me after the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich and the arrival of Benfica striker Darwin Nunez. They are two completely different types of striker."
Mohamed Salah has endured his own personal struggles so far this term, with the Egyptian superstar only finding the net in two of the opening six Premier League games - which included firing a blank during the 9-0 drubbing of newly-promoted Bournemouth late last month.
With Nunez still acclimatising to life on Merseyside after recently completing his three-match suspension for headbutting Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen in August, the Reds have struggled both in attack so far this season.
However, the former Anfield favourite believes Tuesday's European tie at Anfield will be a welcome boost for Klopp's men: “At Anfield, I have seen even the greatest teams with the most experienced top players lose the plot. As a Liverpool player, you're boosted by the noise. Then an energy is released and there's no stopping you.
“On the pitch, there is no escaping the noise. Because of the way the crowd reacts, you even become alert to a chance or when a dangerous situation threatens. They help you as a Liverpool player to anticipate certain situations.
“The great Real had (Arjen) Robben and (Wesley) Sneijder in the team and (Rafael) Van der Vaart on the bench.
“They wanted to give us a thrashing after a 1-0 defeat in Madrid. Sergio Ramos was in and so were Fabio Cannavaro, Iker Casillas, Raul and Gonazalo Higuain. But we went over those guys like a bulldozer, with Ryan Babel, Steven Gerard, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso. End result: 4-0 - and I tell you now, they got away with that mercifully.”
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