- Jurgen Klopp rueful of performance in defeat to Swansea
- Liverpool boss has urged players to respond immediately
- Reds face West Brom in FA Cup this weekend
- SEE MORE: Liverpool hopes of hijacking transfer are crushed by official announcement
Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool rescuing a draw against Swansea on Monday wouldn’t have improved the mood after his side’s disappointing performance.
The Reds produced their worst display of the season as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat courtesy of Alfie Mawson’s scrappy first-half winner.
It marked an extraordinarily contrasting outing to the enthralling 4-3 win over Manchester City the week before, with Liverpool unusually lacking in intensity, creativity and cutting-edge.
An uninspiring showing allowed the equally drab Swansea to end the club’s 18-game unbeaten run in demoralising fashion.
Klopp has since urged his players to mount an immediate response, starting with Saturday’s FA Cup clash with West Brom.
“If you take a point, yes, we have a longer [unbeaten] run but it doesn’t make the game better. That’s what we have to think about,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.
“I don’t forget that the boys delivered in the last few weeks and months but, for the moment, it doesn’t help. We need to feel both – it’s not about thinking about what we did well. We need to deliver all the time, we know that, and we didn’t deliver.”
“It’s hard work on a night like that, Swansea fighting for their life. I don’t expect free-flowing football.”
“The last situation was maybe the clearest one. We threw everything in their box, to be honest. We nearly used it but it doesn’t make the game better.”
“No points or one point is maybe a big difference at the end but now, again, we have to strike back immediately. That’s what we will do.”
A cup weekend could be what Klopp needs to experiment with a couple of changes, namely the use of Ben Woodburn after the manager’s decision to block his proposed loan move to Sunderland and perhaps even a start for Danny Ings.
The defeat at the Liberty Stadium, and the lack of options from the bench in particular, served as a minor warning that strengthening the squad may be necessary in Klopp being able to continue rotating his team.
Philippe Coutinho’s £142million move to Barcelona and Daniel Sturridge’s likely departure leaves two gaping holes to fill.