If his somber facial expression and defeatist body language didn’t give the game away, Jurgen Klopp has now confirmed what many suspected.
Wednesday’s meek surrender at Goodison Park was the most disappointed he has ever felt after a game of his career, he said yesterday.
Liverpool lost 2-0 to bitter city rivals Everton, the first time they have suffered defeat on the trip through Stanley Park since 2010. The connotations around Merseyside added salt to Klopp’s wounds, plus the fact it all but ruled them out of the Premier League. Title race in the league.
The bitterest pill for the German, however, was his team’s lack of fight.
Of course, he would never throw them under the bus – he has taken the blame – and this campaign, given pre-season expectations, will finish on about the same level as the course.
Jurgen Klopp shows his frustration as Liverpool’s title challenge against Everton fails
Liverpool suffered their first defeat to their Merseyside rivals since 2010 at Goodison Park
Klopp said the defeat was the most disappointed he has felt after a match in his entire career
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“It’s really strange, but I hated our game,” he said.
“We weren’t even close to what we wanted to be. You’ve seen the game. It wasn’t the first (substandard), but it was the worst. I see two teams (Arsenal and Manchester City) who play very positive football and go for it. We can do that, but right now we don’t. And who can I make responsible for this?
‘It’s not about individuals – ‘you and you and you’ – that doesn’t make sense. My job until the last day is to make sure the boys feel that. The match (against Everton) was just terrible to watch.
‘In Germany, when the crowd is not happy with the team and they think they are not fighting enough, they sing a song that translates to ‘we want to see you fight’ – I was almost singing that! None of my teams have ever heard that before. Never.
‘We found a way to concede a goal… the goal was a joke. We kicked the ball to each other and then he was allowed into the penalty area… please! And that’s only if you’re not yourself. (Jarrad) Branthwaite mishit the ball and it rolls in… you can laugh about it, but it was unbelievable.”
He previously said: ‘I can’t remember ever being as disappointed or frustrated after a game as I was after the Everton game. I have lost many matches in my life, but it was special, we were not there. I blame myself 100 percent because we weren’t in the mood.’
So while opposite number Sean Dyche returned to his flat to enjoy a few beers, Klopp headed back to his home in Formby and hasn’t been out of his bad mood for long. When asked how he dealt with the emotional trauma, the 56-year-old replied: ‘Time!
‘I know it didn’t go well. When I went home it (his mood) wasn’t great, when I woke up it wasn’t great. I went to the office (on Thursday), it wasn’t great… but it got better step by step. So that’s how it is.
Arne Slot could face less pressure if he takes over a Liverpool team that fails to win the title
There remains some negotiation about which staff members Slot will take with him to Anfield
‘I also believe that you have to feel defeats and that was hard (to accept). But I’m absolutely fine. Like I said, you can lose a match, but if you don’t learn from it, it’s a double defeat. And we have to make sure that doesn’t happen.’
Liverpool will look to avoid making the same mistakes on their trip to West Ham today, with Klopp having just four games remaining. “I’m not in the mood to raise the white flag,” he added yesterday with a touch of defiance.
But as Klopp admitted, this late-season stumble has made the task for the new manager, almost certainly Arne Slot, a lot less difficult.
If Liverpool had ended the Klopp era with a fairy tale – i.e. a Premier League title – the Dutchman would have been expected to follow immediately.
The 45-year-old Slot is expected to take charge at Anfield and that deal could be completed this weekend.
Mailsport He understands there is a fight over the number of backroom staff he brings to Merseyside. It is expected that right-hand man Sipke Hulshoff will follow him.
Hulshoff would take over from Pep Lijnders, Klopp’s trusted lieutenant who is an ally of compatriot Slot. The Feyenoord boss will also bring performance head Ruben Peeters and wants coach Etienne Reijnen to also be part of the squad.
Reijnen would be more balanced, as the Rotterdam club is playing hardball with the number of backroom staff who will leave De Kuip, according to Dutch sources. The total package could cost up to £13 million.
Liverpool’s top brass will look to finalize negotiations this weekend as the team looks to return to glory in east London. Cody Gakpo has returned to training after his wife gave birth to a baby boy this week, but Diogo Jota and Conor Bradley remain sidelined.