Klopp: Liverpool must be wary of ‘brilliant’ Southampton

Jurgen Klopp: Closing in on a year in charge at Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp: Closing in on a year in charge at Liverpool

 

Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool to be on their guard when they face Southampton on Wednesday – and feels the Reds still have much improving to do.

The Reds travel to Southampton in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup quarter-final and Klopp is expecting a difficult game.

He said: “The biggest fault you can make is thinking you’re already in the next round and it’s “only Southampton”. But they’re pretty hot on this game.

“OK, they’ve lost their last two games, but they’ll want to put things right and we know we’re in for a hard night.

“I knew Southampton from before (my time at Liverpool). They’re a good team, brilliantly offensively. (Dusan) Tadic is difficult to play against.

“I hear Southampton and Liverpool are not the best friends, so it will be a feisty game.”

Klopp feels Liverpool have improved defensively of late, but says his side still have plenty more to give.

He added: “We don’t give opponents too many chances. Most of the goals we concede are from set-plays, but try to defend this better, but defending is not only because of clean sheets but feeling good in the game.

“You know it’s not easy for the other team to get chances, more risk and offence. It’s what we try to do.

“I’m not satisfied, I don’t know if we’re 50%, 60% or 70%, but it’s better.”

 

He added: “The only thing you can do is take the confidence of the last result, but you have to prepare for different problems in the next game. It would be easy to say it’s easy away or against teams with more ball possession, because if it was that easy, everyone would do it.

“In our moment of development, we have to train to react faster. Defend well, get the ball, switch quick – that’s a good thing for the team. We have speed and discipline in defending, that’s a good thing.”