Jurgen Klopp has confessed that ‘something is not right’ at Liverpool this season after the Reds fell to a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Liverpool were well below their best and were fortunate not to be punished by the same sort of defensive errors that littered their 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in midweek, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip both caught out.
Further forward, Liverpool’s midfield was once again blasted by fans, with a rare start for Naby Keita ending on a sour note after the Guinea international was hooked at half-time.
“I think we killed the atmosphere with the way we played,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the game. “When football is predictable, it means it’s easier to defend. To be unpredictable you need different movements, that’s what we have to offer in behind the lines as well.
“It was always in the midfield area. We gave balls away, but they were really aggressive as well. You feel something’s not right, but it’s an away point and it’s OK. It’s not brilliant, but it’s OK.
“In moments like this [we miss Darwin Nunez], but we can play without him. We have Diogo [Jota] on the pitch who can be the threat in behind as well. When Mo [Salah] and Cody [Gakpo] are dropping, Diogo has to be there.
“I didn’t see a massive influence [from the Real Madrid game]. If we score, we go home and win 1-0. I can remember standing in this same room talking about a difficult game but we won because we scored from a set piece.”
Midfielder James Milner also conceded there are significant problems at Anfield this season but urged the Liverpool squad to keep focused and not listen to outside noise.
“We haven’t been playing our best football this season,” the veteran admitted. “Little things that go against us, we’re not shrugging them off as well as we should do.
“Getting a clean sheet is a big thing. If we can be difficult to beat we have players who can score goals.
“We have to keep going. We’re our harshest critics. It’s important we don’t listen to the noise outside. It’s down to us. We’re the only ones who can change it. We’ve fallen short this year. We have to dig down.
“The most important thing that matters is what’s said in the dressing room. It was important not to get too high before and not get too down now.”
