Jurgen Klopp points out main Liverpool criticism despite 7-0 mauling of Manchester United
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was elated with his team's 'freak result' last night but admitted that he had to remind his players not to get carried away with the momentum and stick to the plan instead.
The Reds eviscerated Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield for the latter's heaviest loss in Premier League history.
Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all bagged braces while departing forward Roberto Firmino also scored one.
Simply incredible. https://t.co/teYSuCFFIX
It was their biggest win over the Red Devils and Klopp was understandably excited by the outcome, but there was one minor criticism of his side.
Speaking to the press after the game, he said (via Liverpool Echo):
“You saw what positive result can do to the boys. We’re 7-0 up, someone played a backpass to Luke Shaw and we chased him with four players. You think, ‘What are we doing here?’ How much adrenaline it gives you and how much positivity it gives you."
“When you get a bit more dominant results-wise, in that moment you don’t use the patterns anymore because you don’t need to. But the patterns we had for today were exactly the things which caused United problems."
He further noted a moment from the game where Harvey Elliott was left exposed with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho nowhere near him. Klopp added:
“We had a moment in the first half where Fabinho and Hendo were half-left in the box. I’m not sure where Harvey was there but probably not in protection. These moments we don’t need."
“That’s when you lose a bit because of the excitement, you lose the overview but these things are really important to be stable and that’s what we need to be. We need consistency, we need results."
This was the second time this season that Liverpool won by a margin of seven or more, having also humiliated Bournemouth 9-0 in August, while the loss was Manchester United's first in 12 games in all competitions.
Liverpool back to their best?
Liverpool demonstrated their frightening potential with an epic performance last night that will be remembered for generations to come. But will the result spark their best form?
Liverpool's new era 💫 https://t.co/QkXfbjhBEG
When the Reds similarly thrashed Bournemouth earlier in the campaign, it seemed as if they had finally arrived after a sluggish start. But it turned out to be a false dawn as Jurgen Klopp's side continued to blow hot and cold.
With 13 more games left in their league season, Liverpool must produce consistent results to finish inside the top four and will be hoping that Sunday's result will inspire them to continue in the same vein.