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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Keifer MacDonald

'We've seen this before' - Rio Ferdinand makes Jurgen Klopp Liverpool pressure claim and Sir Alex Ferguson comparison

Rio Ferdinand believes Jurgen Klopp is feeling the pressure at Liverpool following three consecutive Premier League away defeats for the first time since 2012.

Following losses at Brentford and Brighton in January, the Reds were similarly beaten in the West Midlands at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday as strikes from Craig Dawson and Ruben Neves followed Joel Matip's own goal early in the first half.

A seventh defeat of the Premier League season means Liverpool find themselves facing the probability of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League. Klopp's men currently lie in 10th place and 11 points off fourth-placed Newcastle United.

READ MORE: 'It was relentless' - Ian Wright pinpoints why Liverpool centre-backs are 'making mistakes'

READ MORE: Gary Neville noticed what Jurgen Klopp did 'for the first time' after Liverpool defeat at Wolves

And Ferdinand, who won six league titles during his time at Manchester United, reckons the Liverpool boss is showing signs of frustration - which is reminiscent of his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The claim comes after the German refused to take a question from one member of the press present at Molineux on Saturday.

“The pressure’s hitting him. He’s not answering questions from particular members of the media, declining questions. He was rude,” said the former United and England defender on his YouTube channel. “Sir Alex Ferguson, he banned people from press conferences. He banned people, he didn’t let them in.

"We’ve seen this before. It could be dealt with in a better way. But I still like it, showing passion, a bit of emotion in a certain situation. Whether it’s right or wrong, there’s still something in me that likes the soap opera element about it.”

Earlier in his post-match press conference, Klopp insisted he was "absolutely" the right man to turn Liverpool's fortunes around and lead them back to the heights they had previously scaled during the early years of his reign.

The Reds host Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield next Monday, before encountering high-flying Newcastle United and Real Madrid before the end of the month. At the start of March, Manchester United will visit Merseyside in an attempt to secure a first Premier League double over Liverpool since 2016.

Despite their struggles, the Liverpool boss will be hopeful of welcoming back Diogo Jota back to team training this week, with Klopp confirming the Portugal international is progressing well in his recovery from the calf injury he suffered against Manchester City in October..

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