Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp slams defence and claims it ‘makes me really sick’
JURGEN KLOPP confessed Liverpool’s dodgy defending has become a sick joke.
Despite bossing the first half, second-half strikes from Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani sent the Reds crashing out of the Caraboa Cup after they failed to win for the fourth game on the spin in September.
It had looked so EASY for the visitors as in-form Philippe Coutinho pulled the strings and Liverpool enjoyed 70 per cent of first-half possession.
But it all turned sour after the Brazilian was substituted at half-time – and if left Klopp feeling QUEESY!
“That we conceded (goals) like this makes me really, really sick,” he said.
“The story of this game is really easy to tell, we were the much better team in the first half, we played good football, we didn't score. That’s sometimes part of football.
“But as long as we concede goals like we conceded today again, then it is quite difficult. I’m sick of goals like this. They scored too easily and we didn’t push up together for the first. I can say it one time or 1,000 so it’s not nice to concede these goals.
“We had big chances and strange situations but it’s a 90-minute game. We need to concentrate to the end.”
Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare claimed Coutinho’s failure to appear after the break was the turning point and inspired his players.
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He confessed: “We led a charmed life in the first half. I was just delighted to get in at half time and then even more delighted to see they took Coutinho off at half-time.
“That was obviously one of the main contributions to us in the second half.”
But Klopp denied he had dropped a clanger by hauling off his star forward.
“That was the plan before the game,” he explained. “He needs match time but he played 80-something at the weekend. it was not the plan to let him play again 60 or 70 or 80.
“Forty five is the limit. We need to get him fit but we cannot push him.”
Defeat at the King Power followed on from Saturday’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Burnley when Liverpool had a staggering 35 shots and 71 per cent of possession. Last night was also the Kop side’s fourth game without scoring.
“Everyone can imagine that we know how to defend set-pieces and throw-ins but in the end it doesn’t work.
“I am in the boat. It’s not me saying ‘I told you and you don’t know’. It’s not about not knowing it’s about doing it and that’s really hard in this moment after a performance like we had in the first half.
“Nobody is interested in who plays the better first half. Everybody was interested in who goes through. We are not a team who is in the next round.”
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