Jurgen Klopp points accusing finger at players after dramatic Liverpool collapse
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pointed an accusing finger at his players after a dramatic collapse in their Champions League game at Sevilla denied them what appeared to be comfortable victory in a game that finished 3-3.
The Premier League side stormed into a 3-0 lead after a sparkling attacking display in the opening half and hour in Spain, yet Klopp suggested his players allowed complacency to creep into their game as they succumbed to a dramatic revival from the home side.
“We stopped playing football in the second half,” he declared. “We have one real weapon – playing football – and we didn’t do that in the second half before we conceded the second goal.
READ MORE: Sevilla v Liverpool as it happened
“It was absolutely OK that we were confident after that first half. It’s obvious what we did – the real problem is we stopped playing football. Our main mistake was that for 15 minutes we didn’t play football, we were passive, we were a little bit too deep. They fought back and well done to them.
“It feel like we lost, but we didn’t lose. There is a game to go and it’s still in our hands but at the moment it feels really bad.”
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was equally crestfallen by Liverpool’s improbable demise, as he admitted to BT Sport that he was confused by his side’s second half display.
“The first half was very good, disciplined, score good goals,” he stated. “The second half was very bad, we did not start well at all. We gave a corner away and struggled from then on.
We stopped playing football and did not get the ball to the front three to cause them problems. it does not feel good.
“We did not keep the ball and I did think the free-kick and penalty decisions were soft to let them back in the game. We need to be better.
“The message at half-time was to keep going and they were going to give it a right go, they had nothing to lose and we could not cope with it. At least it is still in our hands to top the group.”
Despite the sense of despair that rippled through the Liverpool dressing room at the final whistle, Klopp’s side remain top of Group E and will progress to the knock-out stages as group winners if they beat Spartan Moscow in their final pool game next month.
