Jurgen Klopp Admits Liverpool's Defensive Stability Has Hindered Their Attacking Potency
Jurgen Klopp has conceded Liverpool's increasing defensive stability has seen their attacking fluency hindered, but added that his side is growing in maturity when it comes to managing games.
Liverpool's unbeaten start to the Premier League season has been built on the foundations of their defensive cohesion having conceded just three goals in eight league games so far - a run which can become a club-record should they keep Huddersfield Town goalless on Saturday.
Julian Finney/GettyImages
The Reds had conceded 12 goals at this stage last year but the improvement at the back has come at a cost to their attacking potency - but, it is a trade off Klopp says is key to building the foundations for a title challenge as he backed his side to return to their goal scoring best.
“We want to be stronger defensively but that doesn’t mean we don’t have interest in offensive things," Klopp told reporters, via the Guardian.
"It is normal in a period of adaptation. You put the focus a bit more on something – close this gap, close this space – and immediately you lose a bit of the fluency in something else. But we have created enough chances; it’s just that we didn’t use them like we used them in the best period of last season.
Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
“We have had good results and scored goals but it’s obvious we can improve. We need to keep the stability, no doubt about that. What we’ve done defensively so far is credit to the whole team.
"We don’t concede a lot of shots in general. It’s not that we don’t concede because Alisson makes one world-class save after another. We don’t let them shoot often and that’s the best thing.”
Moreover, Opta stats sees Liverpool currently ranked ninth for the effectiveness of their pressing in the Premier League this season and Klopp says the statistic refers to the opposition's tactics and his team's growing maturity when hitting the front rather than a tactical change on his part.
“It’s more the case that teams don’t usually play against us,” Klopp said. “They overplay our pressing with long balls, which makes sense.
"In a lot of games our counter-press has been really good, which is much more important in terms of losing the ball and winning it back. In terms of the high press, it depends on the style of play of the other team. You can’t do it if they don’t play. It’s not that we don’t want to do it any more. If they play then we should be there.
"It’s a question of maturity and that makes absolute sense. With the number of games we have it’s not about chasing a game always like crazy, you have to be smart. We try to be that without killing our nature,” he added.
