Liverpool fans should be lapping up Klopp’s defensive pledge
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After his first full interview as Liverpool manager, rejoicing Reds fans will be pouring over juicy sound bites from Jurgen Klopp about “wild football” and “turning doubters into believers”, but the German said something far more important.
Any keen observer of Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers will recognise the defensive problems which have plagued his sides, an endemic fault briefly papered over by a blitz of goals during one sensational campaign.
Everton’s equaliser on Sunday lunchtime was a prime example of the calamity that has characterised Liverpool’s defending once too often over the past three years, regardless of the system Rodgers’ employed.
It will not have escaped Klopp’s attention either that Liverpool are the only side in the top half of the Premier League table to carry a negative goal difference after seven games, albeit a lack of a killer touch at the opposite end is also to blame.
“The first thing always, even in life maybe, is to have a stable defence,” said Klopp.
“You can only stay confident in a game when you know that not every offensive move from the other team is a goal.
“Let’s try to be the hardest team in the world to beat. If you are this, you are not far away from being a team that can win.”
It will be fascinating to see which defensive personnel Klopp turns to for his first game in charge at White Hart Lane and in what formation he deploys them.
Dragging his compatriot Emre Can further up the pitch should be his first port of call in any reshuffle, as the £10m utility man’s error count at centre-half is rising faster than a spring tide.
Liverpool have enjoyed fantastic results at Spurs over the past two seasons, leaving north London as 3-0 and 5-0 winners respectively.
It is likely to be a far different story this time around however, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side going pretty well in eighth, having lost only once so far.
Those “believers” Klopp is referring to can back Liverpool at 4/1 to win to nil for a third successive time at the Lane.
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