"We should change that" - Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool made it a 'bit too easy' for Atalanta in Europa League clash
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his team to become a tougher opposition after their display against Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League.
The Reds won the second leg 1-0 but were knocked out of the competition with a 1-3 aggregate loss in the quarter-finals. Klopp felt his side made the job easy for their Serie A opposition.
Speaking to the media after the game, Klopp said (via Yahoo Sport):
"There is no season where there were no moments I thought: 'Ah! we should have won that.' It's part of life, you have to deal with them. It is never about how many punches you get, it is always how you deal with them. That's how we have to deal with the situation."
Klopp added:
"That's the challenge in football because we never just play for ourselves, we always have an opponent. So we have to make sure we become that opponent for each team again that they don't want to play against. We made it a bit too easy and we should change that."
A month ago, Liverpool were in the race to win all four trophies this season (they have already won the Carabao Cup). However, they have since been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and from the Europa League by Atalanta.
Klopp's side have also drawn against United in the league and have been defeated by Crystal Palace. They have lost the top spot in the Premier League table and are currently third.
Jurgen Klopp assesses Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League
Liverpool are currently third in the Premier League table with 71 points from 32 matches. They are level on points with second-placed Arsenal and are trailing league leaders Manchester City by two points.
Jurgen Klopp thinks his side are still very well in the running to win the league title this season. Klopp told the media after the Atalanta game (via Yahoo Sports):
"I think if we win all of our games, there's a good chance that we will be champions. Maybe we only have to win five, but nobody knows."
Klopp further explained the Premier League's unexpected nature and claimed that Arsenal's 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa last weekend was also a surprising outcome. Liverpool play Fulham at Craven Cottage next on Sunday, April 21.