‘Angry’ Jurgen Klopp Urges Liverpool to Raise Game

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp bemoans his team’s defensive errors in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham United in the Premier League.

Carroll rose to meet a precise cross from Mark Noble 10 minutes into the second half, doubling the hosts’ advantage after Michail Antonio had headed them into an early lead.

“Each game you want to win and score goals, it doesn’t matter if it is against a side you have played for”, Carroll told BT Sport.

Both of West Ham’s goals came from crosses, and Klopp has admitted that his team are not “dirty enough” at the back.

For the visitors, this was a second defeat in four games and it leaves them five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham having played a game less than the London club.

It also lifted the East Londoners to fifth place in the Premier League and above Liverpool, who once paid £35 million to make Carroll the club’s record signing.

“Then cross, Andy Carroll, 2-0, thank you very much!”

“We are going to have our ups and downs but we are definitely a good team”.

He insisted that what made him “angry” was the fact Liverpool “had better moments” when they “started playing fighting football” but “scored no goals”.

Klopp felt left-back Alberto Moreno was fouled in the build-up to West Ham’s 10th-minute opener, when Antonio thumped in a close-range header from Enner Valencia’s cross. We have to avoid this cross.

The Reds now face Stoke in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup in midweek, travelling to the Britannia Stadium for the first leg. 0-0, you play football and then you will have your chances.

“In a game like this where you see you can be better, you have to be better”. But if you don’t fight, if you fight in these moments not with 100 per cent but with 95 per cent, it’s not enough.

He declared that “the thing” is that Liverpool “have to avoid the crosses” because it’s “50/50 in the box in the air” but if it’s one of Carroll or Benteke then the odds become more like “60/40” even though he acknowledged the first goal was not Carroll.

Unfortunately the Argentinian midfielder, who had been the game’s most influential player, limped off just before half-time with what looked like a recurrence of his recent thigh injury. “It’s football, defending is a part of football”, Klopp told reporters. “You don’t have to wash your clothes by yourself”.