Jurgen Klopp has hinted at what his starting XI will look like against Napoli when the in-form Italian side visits Anfield on Tuesday.
The Reds lost 2-1 to Leeds United on Saturday evening which means Liverpool have lost back-to-back Premier League games against the division’s 20th and 19th-placed sides after Nottingham Forest beat them 1-0.
This season has been a nightmare for Klopp and his coaching staff with injuries to just about every senior player.
That said, it’s simply embarrassing to see the same mistakes committed every week.
The most worrying aspect of this season is that there have been very few encouraging signs to suggest things will be turned around.
Liverpool are 15 points behind Arsenal, who just happened to beat Forest 5-0 on Sunday – the sort of result we should see from the Reds against the Premier League’s lowest-ranked sides.
I had a sinking feeling Liverpool were in for another morale-destructive defeat when Jesse Marsch spoke to the press ahead of the Leeds game against the Merseysiders.
With the American’s position at Elland Road under major scrutiny, he said: “I’m sick of losing.”
Liverpool did the former Montreal Impact manager a huge favour as they failed to take their chances and when Crysencio Summerville toe-poked the ball beyond Alisson (who deserves better than the protection he’s been getting this season) to sucker punch Klopp’s men, I realized I was right to feel so apprehensive.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA5zaTTUY2Q[/embedyt]
Liverpool had 22 shots and 10 on target.
Simply, they were far too wasteful again but I was encouraged by the increased fluidity in the side compared to how they battled on Nottingham Forest’s narrow pitch.
Napoli are up next and we already have a pretty good idea of how dangerous they are after they pulverised Liverpool at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in gameweek 1.
So Klopp going strong is necessary even though the game is a dead rubber.
Speaking to the press ahead of Liverpool’s final group stage game, the manager confirmed that he will name a strong side despite needing a huge swing in goal difference to top the group.
Klopp said: “There is no excuse for it or whatever but we have the problem from the first day with injuries or half-fit players who are not injured. So that’s what we carry with us in the moment and that’s why some players play too often and other players have to play too early.
“That’s the situation and the next game is already waiting, and now you might say Naples, it’s a home game, we are already through in the group. I would say it’s Liverpool against Napoli and we should put in a proper performance.
“At least we need again 11 starters and then a few days later we play away at Tottenham, so that’s our situation. It’s not now for a main overhaul and all these kind of things – no, you have to fight through and you have to fight for momentum, for confidence, for security.”
