Jurgen Klopp makes ‘no-brainers’ claim after Liverpool’s defeat to Nottingham Forest

Jurgen Klopp rued Liverpool’s missed chances following his side’s defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The Reds slipped to a narrow defeat at the hands of newly promoted Forest at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, with Taiwo Awoniyi turning home the second half winner from close range. Liverpool did have chances from set-pieces, but they largely failed to create clear cut opportunities against a Forest back-line that looked much improved.

Mohamed Salah completely missed the ball from a set-piece, while Virgil van Dijk put a couple wide and saw one saved by Dean Henderson, while Roberto Firmino headed wide early one.

Klopp rued those missed chances at full-time, pointing them out, but aside from set-pieces, Forest were rarely troubled, making those set-piece opportunities all the more important.

“The performance I can explain, the result not, because I never saw a game where one team has...four or five no-brainers from a set-piece where we have to finish it off,” Klopp told BT Sport. “The way they defended, we were always prepared for that and always had a free player. Bobby first half, Virgil two or three teams. Yeah, you have to put the game to bed.

“The goal we conceded was a big mistake from us where we lose the ball, its a free-kick and that can happen around set-pieces. Apart from that, all the chances they had we gave them, because in the first half, just too often, there were wrong passes in the centre. When we used the wing, they were open.

“But there would not be a free-flowing performance, that was clear before the game because we had to make really late changes, and in general, a lot of changes. It’s a game you have to win, but purely doing the right stuff again and again. We didn’t, and that’s why we are standing here and we have lost the game.”

Liverpool have struggled for consistency throughout this season so far, failing to win seven of their first 11 games, and this is a particularly surprising result on the back of a win over Manchester City.

“We have had six games with a really limited squad, playing really intense games,” Klopp reasoned. “The first one was City, which was super intense, then you have to go full distance in mid-week and Saturday again. That’s how it is, we cannot change that. You have to fight through. Results-wise, we should have shown consistency today. We could have had it, but it’s just finishing situations.”

Speaking about Liverpool’s inury situation, which has been far from ideal this season, Klopp concluded: “I hope one, two or three players will come back and we can make changes again, but that’s how it is.”