Klopp: Liverpool still learning to be winners

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are still learning how to be winners after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday.

The ninth-placed hosts took the lead through Philippe Coutinho in the second half at Anfield, but had to settle for a point after Harry Kane impressively converted Christian Eriksen’s cross.

Liverpool have dropped more points from winning positions (17) than any other top-flight team this season and Klopp feels his players are still developing the necessary belief to consistently defeat top sides.

“Of course they are fighting for the title, but it did not look like there were six or seven positions between the sides,” he said to Sky Sports.

“That is our mistake, not Tottenham’s fault – they play their season and we play ours. 

“But if you want to change the situation, we have to stay in the game in all situations because it is not about potential, skill, talent – it is in nearly all moments of the game not attitude, but our belief. 

“We are not sure that we can beat teams like this always and we could. That is what we didn’t do, so it is only a draw.

“We have to go through this situation and we cannot change it. To become a winner you have to learn. That is what we are learning at this moment. We are on this way – we have had a few knocks over this season like today – but we are still on a really good way. 

“Everybody can see it if you want. If you only take the results you say there is something wrong, but there is not a lot wrong. Of course we can build up on this.”

Klopp felt Liverpool could have won the game had they taken their chances in the first half and rued his team switching off defensively for Kane’s leveller.

“It is a deserved draw, but we could have won it,” he said. “In the first half we had a lot of good moments, better moments, more shots and a lot of brilliant pressing situations.

“We scored a goal in the second half – then they scored a goal with their quality. The goal we thought [the ball was] ‘out, not out ‘ – all of us thought and we were twice too late and in the end it is a goal. 

“We switched off in moments. Nathaniel Clyne thought the ball was out and Dejan Lovren – who had a brilliant game – was not close enough for the goal.  

“Of course we could have won this game. Defensively over a long, long period of the game we were really good, we took them out the game. 

“The striker and offensive midfield players – Kane, Alli, Eriksen, Son, Chadli – they had no real moments in the game because we were really good and then we let them come back into the game. 

“That’s our fault, so we conceded a goal and have to live with a draw.”