After six consecutive defeats Klopp needs ‘masterpiece’ to fix Liverpool

Monday, 8 March 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

LIVERPOOL, AFP: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it would take a “masterpiece” for him to figure out how to solve his side’s crisis after a sixth consecutive home defeat as relegation-threatened Fulham won 1-0 at Anfield yesterday.

The English champions have collapsed from leading the Premier League at Christmas to looking increasingly likely to miss out on next season’s Champions League.

Liverpool are seventh in the table, four points adrift of the top four, and having played more games than all of their rivals for a Champions League place.

An injury crisis has played a major part, particularly in central defence with the talismanic Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip ruled out for the season.

However, Klopp is also now under the spotlight as his decision to make seven changes from Thursday’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea did little to aid his side’s confidence.

“We never had a momentum in the season,” said Klopp. “You can see it’s still in the boys. They still have it all but at the moment can’t show it. It would be a masterpiece to find out how we change that overnight.” Liverpool’s best chance of a return to the Champions League may now be by winning that competition for a seventh time.

Klopp’s men travel to Budapest for the second leg of their last 16 tie against Leipzig on Wednesday, leading 2-0 from the first leg.

“To win football games,” said the German when quizzed what is now his priority for the season. “I don’t have to stand here and say we fight for this or that, we have enough to do fighting for three points.”