'It makes me really, really sick' - Jurgen Klopp slams his Liverpool players after League Cup exit
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gestures on the touchline during the League Cup clash between Leicester City and Liverpool at King Power Stadium
Manager Jurgen Klopp didn't hold back in his criticism of his side's defending after more basic errors at the back proved fatal as Liverpool crashed out of the Carabao Cup following a 2-0 defeat at Leicester.
Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani scored the Foxes goals on a night when Liverpool had a succession of shots at the Leicester goal and then saw their positive attacking play undone by more defensive errors.
It is a familiar narrative that has been played out time and again by Liverpool during Klopp’s two years as manager, with the German tactician refusing to hold back in his criticism of his team after their latest setback.
“I’m sick of goals like this to be honest, you cannot play football and do that,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “We conceded like this, that makes me really, really sick.
“The Leicester team somehow survive in the game as we aren't clinical enough. That is okay, but then you need to stay concentrated. They scored too easy.
“With the first goal we don't push up together... I've said it a thousand times. It's actually easy to explain, we played good football in the first-half and missed big chances.
“The goals we conceded are a second ball from a corner and a throw-in again. As long as we concede goals like we conceded today again then it is quite difficult. Everyone can imagine we know how to defend them but obviously we don’t do it.”
They were feisty comments from a clearly frustrated Klopp, who was satisfied with the aspects of his side’s performance on a night when he made eight changes to the side that started last Saturday’s Premier League game against Burnley.
“It doesn’t feel too cool, but it’s the truth that we are still a good football team,” argued Klopp. “I see it, but unfortunately it doesn’t feel it at the moment because we exited a cup competition.
“We wanted to go to the next round. Nobody was interested in who played the better first half, everyone was interested who will go through and we are not the team that will be in the next round for some good reasons.”
Liverpool return to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester once more in the Premier Legaue this weekend and Klopp admits he will brush off this cup defeat ahead of that game on Saturday evening.
“Will I still feel sick when I come back here on Saturday,” he pondered. “I lost more games in my life unfortunately and believe me or not, tomorrow morning I am fine. Yes we will come back and I will be before the game for sure in a better shape than right now.”
