Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp accepts blame for Champions League defeat to Napoli

Sport360 staff 09:04 04/10/2018
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  • Jurgen Klopp

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he takes a large part of the blame for their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Napoli in Italy.

    In one of the worst performances of his reign, the Reds were poor in possession and that handed the initiative to their hosts who dominated throughout.

    It was the first time since February 2006, in the 1-0 defeat to Benfica, they had failed to register a single shot on target in a Champions League match.

    “A big part of that performance was my fault for sure but I need at least one night to watch it again and see what was the fault but it was not like it should have looked,” said Klopp.

    “I am pretty sure the reasons will be obvious and then we will sort that but we were not good enough and normally if you are not good enough you lose games.

    “When you have the ball you have to play much calmer.

    “If you looked how we played you would have thought they were always on us – we could have played calmer but we didn’t.

    “The first half was kind of OK but the second half was not good enough and it’s always a bad sign to say when you goalkeeper is your best player.

    “No attempts on target, I don’t remember when that happened last time.

    “I think we had a big part in that because we can play much better. No shot on target is not enough.

    “They had a good game, we didn’t, that’s why they deserved the three points. For the exact reason I am not 100 per cent cent sure.”

    Liverpool lost Naby Keita to injury midway through the first half, with the £53million summer arrival departing on a medical cart and taken for further examination.

    Klopp does not yet know the extent of the problem.

    “It is his back, that’s what I heard. I don’t know exactly. We have to wait.”

    Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti extended his personal record against Liverpool to six wins and three defeats.

    “I think we interpreted the game really well, we changed a bit – but not too much – the way we played with an extra central defender,” said the Italian.

    “We were able to keep possession. Overall it was a very good approach from the team, there was a perfect balance to avoid the attack and managed their strong strikers up front.

    “It gives a lot of character to the team and it’s great we kept the same mentality from the start to the end. It gives great self-confidence to the players.”

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