Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp: we must learn to impose ourselves on physical sides

Manager expects back-to-basics approach from next opponents Sunderland 
• ‘We have no problem with character. Maybe we have to create mentality’

Jürgen Klopp has called on Liverpool to prove they have adapted to the Premier League’s physical tests when they travel to Sunderland on Wednesday.

The Liverpool manager expects Sam Allardyce’s side to react to their abject defeat at Manchester City on Boxing Day with “a back-to-basics” approach at the Stadium of Light, with physical strength and defensive discipline paramount for a team second from bottom of the table.

Klopp’s side have struggled against strong, well-organised opponents this season such as West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Watford. However, having become the first team since May to keep a clean sheet against Leicester City with a resilient display at Anfield, recording their first win in five matches in the process, Liverpool’s manager believes the performance represented significant progress.

“We spoke about being physical,” said Klopp of his team’s response to the 3-0 reverse at Watford. “Fighting for second balls is a physical fight and we have to do this. It’s nothing we can’t do. It’s a problem of understanding. We want to play football and if you get a second ball you have to refocus and fight for it.

“You need to have three or four players who fight for this and two or three who think: ‘We can get this second ball and now we can start playing.’ That’s what we didn’t do often enough but it’s not a physical problem. We have to change our kind of fighting for these balls, which is what we tried to do in the last game, so we knew about it.”

Klopp claims Leicester posed the same problems as teams such as Palace and Watford, with their deep defence and focus on counterattacking football.

However, having overcomplicated their performance at Vicarage Road, according to the German coach, Liverpool’s controlled display against Claudio Ranieri’s side encouraged Klopp’s belief that his players can impose themselves on physical, defensive teams.

He explained: “We were ready for this kind of play against Leicester and I am really happy with that. We didn’t shoot long balls only but switched really fast after the second ball. Two or three balls from Hendo [Jordan Henderson] under pressure were played behind the line. We spoke about this and we did it. It was really good. It’s not a situation for playing in small spaces. It’s a fight for certain points and that’s when you have a clear situation. That’s what we have to do.

“Very often in situations which you could see at Watford we won the second ball and didn’t start immediately to think offensively. We gave the ball to the nearest player and he didn’t want it. It was a like a shock. He didn’t play it behind the line, so we were still playing in a small space and that’s not right. You see these things and you have to work on it and change it for the next game.

“The next game is completely other problems. I know what everybody is saying, how we can beat the top teams but not the other teams? You all know Leicester is a top team. They played the best until now. It’s really good but they play like a few other teams, only with high quality and more confidence, and we did it really well against them and that’s what we have to do now against Sunderland, West Ham, Stoke – whoever is coming. It might be something else against Exeter, I don’t know. We always have a plan but we need to show that we take the plan on the pitch.”

“We have no problem with character. The character of the team is great,” he insisted. “Maybe you can speak about mentality and that’s what we have to create. You can’t say you can’t change mentality. You need experience for a game, for a situation to change it and that’s what we try to do every day.Liverpool will be without the hamstrung Divock Origi at the Stadium of Light, presenting another opportunity for Christian Benteke to press his claims for a regular start, and James Milner is at least a week away from returning from a calf problem. Klopp is adamant his squad has the character to cope with Sunderland’s reaction and desperate need to close a seven-point gap between themselves and fourth from bottom Swansea City.

“That’s not far away and you shouldn’t make a final judgment about mentality but you can make a final judgment about character. The character of the boys is really good.”