Klopp Talk: We Will Take All The Criticism From Everywhere

Liverpool were bad yesterday. Very bad. We all know it. We all saw it. Losses like yesterday’s never feel better, and at times they often feel worse. There’s no getting around it, and after an encouraging display against Chelsea earlier in the week, hopes were high to build on that kind of performance and regain the form that had been missing since the year started. An idea that wasn’t lost on boss Jürgen Klopp.

“Yes, I’m interested in results too, but I’m really interested in performance because you can build on performance,” Klopp said in his post-match presser yesterday. “This week we had a really good performance [against Chelsea], but obviously we didn’t build on it, that’s obvious. So we will, and have to, take all the criticism from everywhere. We have to change it, immediately.”

It’s been pretty clear that Liverpool’s title hopes are all but completely over, and with other challengers taking points that the Reds have left behind, top four chances are now in doubt as well. Klopp has talked repeatedly of patience and diligence, but those words can be cold comfort in times like these.

“The Champions League is an outstandingly big, big, big target. It’s fantastic and so many teams want to play there. To qualify for the Champions League in England is outstandingly difficult because of so many challenges – but after the performance of today, we don’t have to talk about this,” Klopp continued. “We have to show now, really, that we are really ready to go for everything. I can say it, but it will not change a lot — we have to show it together.

“There are a lot of things to do and as an overall statement, we have to change immediately.”

Never before has an immediate change been so necessary, and with a whole week between yesterday and the next match against Tottenham, thankfully there is ample time to analyze and hopefully set to work at making those changes.