Jurgen Klopp reveals half-time message to Liverpool in Brentford loss

Liverpool lost 3-1 to Brentford as they stay sixth in the Premier League.
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Jurgen Klopp conceded that Brentford were full value for their victory against Liverpool.

The Reds made a dismal start to 2023 as they slipped to a 3-1 loss away to the Bees. The defeat leaves Liverpool sixth in the Premier League table and they missed a chance to leapfrog Tottenham.

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The visitors found themselves two goals down at half-time and it could have been more but for two Brentford goals being ruled offside following VAR checks.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got Liverpool back into the game with a header in the 50th minute but Bryan Mbeumo’s 84th-minute finish gave the Bees all three points.

Klopp reminded the Reds at half-time how they could cause Brentford problems. And he felt Yoane Wissa’s goal that doubled the hosts’ lead decided the game.

Liverpool manager Klopp said: “We started well in the first half as well, didn’t we? So nothing really special. We have to just remind the boys of the things we need to do to cause Brentford the problems.

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“So a 2-0 lead is good but is very dangerous as well, and I think we showed that immediately. When it was 2-1, we were much closer to score the equaliser than they were to score the third goal.

“But it stayed a big fight because they threw everything in. Of course, they deserved the win, it’s clear, but in the end, how I said, the second goal decided the game because coming out of half-time and scoring the equaliser would have been much nicer than just the first goal. That’s it.”

Liverpool face an uphill battle to finish in the top four this season and qualify for the Champions League.

On the Reds’ current position, Klopp said: “So we can change our position only by winning football games and tonight is obviously the opposite, so we didn’t gain any points, cannot take anything from it.

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“How I said, we have to win football games and that we have a lot of players not available in the moment, you can see that in changes and when we change it’s now not that we can just throw in offensive players and stuff like this to give somebody a rest or say: ‘OK, come on, you did enough for today’. So they all pretty much have to fight through. That’s the situation and nothing else.”