Jurgen Klopp insists one man cannot solve Liverpool's defensive problems

Liverpool 
Liverpool paid the price for some poor defending Credit: epa

Jurgen Klopp dismissed the idea Liverpool are missing the ‘one player’ that could solve their defensive problems as carelessness cost them Champions League points.

The name Virgil van Dijk continues to shadow Liverpool every time they concede, and after a dominant attacking performance against Sevilla was again undermined by mistakes at the back, Klopp faced a familiar lament about his failure to sign a new centre-back.

But the Liverpool manager says the solution is in collective action rather than craving any individual.

“I know here a lot of people were looking for this, at the defence, that we didn't sign this and that and all that stuff,” said Klopp following the 2-2 draw.

“If these problems would have been sorted with one player, you can imagine we'd put all our money in and say 'let's do this'. It's not about this.

“It's of course concentration, it's nothing else in this situation. We started the game good, kind of dominant, played football, had immediately good moments and they score from pretty much their first offensive situation.

“That's a mixture of being unlucky and being a little bit 'through the wind' as we say in Germany.

Wissam Ben Yedder slots the first goal
Wissam Ben Yedder scored Sevilla's first goal Credit: EPA

“We need to learn to be dominant and not to give easy goals away. The first one was for sure unnecessary and too easy, and the second I've absolutely no clue how they came through so I have to see that again. It's not a general defending problem but we need to improve 100%.”

Klopp took comfort for an encouraging overall performance.

“That’s how it is. It is a results game. I am not sure I am frustrated,” he said. “I am not happy with the result, I am happy about a big part of the game. I saw we were spot on from the first second. A lot of times when two good teams play each other it is boring but this was the opposite. Respect for Sevilla. They were lucky with the penalty (miss) and we had more chances – that is important. We created a lot of chances but did not use them – that is the truth – but there is a lot on which we can build.

Roberto Firmino taps in for 1-1
Roberto Firmino tapped in to level at 1-1 Credit: PA

“The first half was exceptional. Until they scored the second we controlled the game. That was mature. A few players could not keep the level from the first half. It was not physical it was concentration. We are still in the process and that is my job – to work with the information.”

Klopp was invited to the Sevilla dressing room after the game. The Liverpool manager was earlier accused of ensuring rival coach Eduardo Berizzo was sent off - the Sevilla manager dismissed for throwing the ball away in the second half - but Klopp played down any suggestion of a row having accepted the request to shake hands with his opponent.

“It is all fine. I think they made me responsible for the red card,” said Klopp. “We spoke about it in the dressing room. He (Berizzo) invited me. I was not exceptionally emotional.

“The manager of Sevilla asked me to come in and we had a completely normal talk. There was a lot of smile on their faces.”

Berizzo’s explanation for his dismissal was somewhat implausible.

Berizzo sent to the stands
Eduardo Berizzo was sent to the stands for not giving Liverpool their ball back. Twice. Credit: BT Sport

“It was two different actions and situations,” said Berizzo. “When we were winning and Liverpool were on the counter I did something that wasn't right, I threw ball to stop the advantage of a counter-attack. I realised that was a mistake.

“However in the second half, when we were losing and chasing the game, I still decided to throw the ball away to make up for (my actions in) the first half, so I tried to do the same.

“(Jurgen) Klopp understood but the referee didn't understand, he was the only one.

“I had a chat with Klopp and wanted to put right the initial mistake. He (the referee) did act to the letter of the law, but I wanted to try to explain, what I did explain to the Liverpool staff is that it wasn't a bad intention, I was just trying to make up for what happened before.”

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