Klopp denies Liverpool have lost confidence

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool’s tough run of results has not dealt damage to the team’s level of confidence.

A dour 0-0 Premier League draw against Manchester United on Saturday means Liverpool have won only one of their last eight matches in all competitions.

With the Reds nine points behind league leaders Manchester City after eight games, having exited the EFL Cup at the hands of Leicester City and drawn their opening two Champions League matches, it was put to Klopp that his players are in desperate need of some renewed belief.

However, the former Borussia Dortmund boss says they have no reason to be low on confidence following the standard of their recent performances.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Maribor, he said: “We have to be confident. It was disappointment after the game and that is because we deserved more. We are in a good moment and we are looking forward.

“It is easy to remember how hard we fought for the Champions League.

“We have lost two games, one in the [EFL] Cup and one with 10-men against Manchester City. Ninety-nine per cent of teams in world football would lose against Manchester City at the moment. Why should we lose confidence?”

Liverpool are two points behind Group E leaders Sevilla ahead of the meeting with the Slovenian champions and Klopp has challenged his side to get the sort of result that he feels their recent displays deserve.

“Now, we face a decisive moment in the group stage. We need to be concentrated and brave against a top team of a European league,” he said.

“They are a good footballing team. We have a job to do and not think about the next game.

“We have wasted points and the performances have been good. We have to be very, very good again and take the result.

“The two games we saw of Maribor were different. They usually have to attack, they are the top team in Slovenia.

“I saw an offensive-minded team against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow. We need to be ready for this battle.”