Klopp suggests Liverpool must ´reinvent´ themselves after Napoli humbling

Jurgen Klopp conceded Liverpool must “reinvent” themselves after their underwhelming start to the season continued with a 4-1 hammering at Napoli in the Champions League.

Liverpool trailed by three goals at half-time for just the fourth time in their Champions League history after strikes from Piotr Zielinski, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone on Wednesday.

Victor Osimhen also missed a first-half penalty after another slow start from Liverpool, who have conceded first in five games this season in all competitions, the joint-most of any Premier League side.

Zielinski added a second strike after the interval, with Luis Diaz scoring a consolation goal as Liverpool fell to their joint-heaviest defeat in the Champions League.

An abject showing in Naples, coupled with just two wins in six Premier League games, left manager Klopp questioning whether Liverpool need to reshape to tackle a challenging start.

3 – Liverpool have suffered the heaviest defeat by an English Premier League side in their opening game of a UEFA Champions League campaign since Arsenal lost 3-0 to Internazionale in 2003-04 – tonight was the Reds’ joint-heaviest defeat overall in the competition. Chaotic. pic.twitter.com/L21tONvHde

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 7, 2022

“Really tough to take, it’s not that difficult to explain when you watched the game. To start with the two penalties, okay first of all Napoli played a really good game, we didn’t, that is the first explanation for the defeat,” the German told BT Sport.

“They scored one penalty and missed another but the next two goals we served on a plate, that’s not cool and we should defend better. Then 3-0 down having chances but never really in the game.

“We were not compact defensively or offensively. Until Thiago [Alcantara] entered the pitch I cannot remember one counter-pressing situation, we were too wide.

“Everything is obvious but why it happened is now the question, I cannot answer now, let me think about it. It is a really tough cookie to take, but I have to take it.

“We played bad first halves, unfortunately, usually we don’t concede three, though – with Alisson in the goal you have to be really bad to do it. We did the same here when we lost 2-0 [in 2019-20].

“It looks like we have to reinvent ourselves, there’s a lot of things lacking – not in all games – but the fun part is we have do that in the middle of a Premier League season and Champions League campaign.”

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— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 7, 2022

Wolves are next up for Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, and Klopp suggested Bruno Lage’s side will be relishing playing the Reds amid a poor run of form.

“In three days we play against Wolves, if they saw the game tonight they cannot stop laughing probably, I would say it is the perfect moment [to play us],” he added.

“We have to find a setup to be much better in everything. You could see it on the pitch, we were not working as a team, nothing to do with personal stuff, but we didn’t play good enough it is obvious and clear.

“We play in the strongest league in the world and have a tough Champions League group, but it is my responsibility and I need time to think about. 

“There a few things that are obvious but it is my job to find out more to reset and go.”