Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has encouraged four of his defenders to improve following their 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich.
Frans Kratzig’s added-time winner gave the Bundesliga champions victory in Singapore on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s side also had goals from Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Josip Stanisic, with Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk, and Luis Diaz responding.
Liverpool have surrendered 10 goals in their first four pre-season games, despite only two of those opponents playing in the Premier League this season. After the Bayern loss, Klopp was understandably unhappy with his defenders and chastised four of them.
Trent Alexander Arnold, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, and Ibrahima Konate were the four players summoned by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. If Klopp’s club is to win a trophy in the next nine months, his defense must be completely functional.
“In the first goal we conceded, Trent and Joel have to react better,” Klopp told reporters, according to the Daily Mail. “They were both standing on both feet. I don’t believe we could have averted the pass.
“We were about a half-hour into the game and already feeling the intensity.” Joe Gomez and Ibou Konate had a similar moment in the second half. It’s not about speed, it’s about alertness; assess the situation since there are no breaks in football.”
Liverpool’s preseason campaign has been jam-packed with goals. They began with friendlies against Karlsruher and Greuther Furth in Germany, where they won 4-2 and 4-4, respectively. They then thrashed Leicester 4-0 before facing Bayern in a seven-goal thriller.
Klopp will be satisfied with his strikers’ performance. Darwin Nunez has scored four goals in preseason, while Diogo Jota has three. Gakpo and Diaz have also scored twice, with Mohamed Salah scoring against Furth.
However, Liverpool’s defense is a source of concern. Klopp will be hoping for a win over Darmstadt in their final preseason friendly on Monday. Liverpool will face the Germans, who were promoted to the Bundesliga in May, at Deepdale, Preston’s home ground.
Because the Anfield Road Stand addition is still being built, the game will not be played on Merseyside. Liverpool’s next home game is against Bournemouth on August 19, but the repairs will not be finished in time for that Premier League match.
The stand is expected to be finished in time for the Merseyside derby against Everton in October. The upgrades will boost Anfield’s capacity from just under 54,000 to 61,000, making it one of the Premier League’s largest stadiums.
Liverpool are hungry for success this season, following a challenging 2022/23 season in which they finished fifth in the Premier League. They also failed to advance in the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup, despite winning the Community Shield.
