‘Told the boys’ - Jurgen Klopp reveals Liverpool half-time message in Nottingham Forest win

Jurgen Klopp saluted Liverpool’s counter-pressing improvements as his side racked up back-to-back wins for the first time since February.

The Reds battled to a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Anfield to move up to sixth in the Premier League table. Diogo Jota fired a double while Mo Salah bagged the match-winner in what proved an enthralling second-half affair with all five goals scored.

Liverpool romped to a 6-1 win over Leeds United earlier this week and they’ve shown signs of their old selves amid a lacklustre season by their own standards.

Having gone into half-time goalless, Klopp reassured his troops they’d been in the situation plenty of times in the past. And ahead of a trip to West Ham on Wednesday, the manager insists that the Reds must fight for everything in their final seven games.

Klopp said: “It's now strange to say after a game like this, because we didn't have to defend a lot, but the main difference between Leeds and all the other games was the way we defended. It was much better. So, ball-orientated, really being compact and that doesn't mean only a high line, it means really moving to the ball side, giving us options. Today I saw a lot of top, top, top counter-pressing moments – I loved that – and that's, for us, super-important.

“And yes, that changed. I think we are much clearer again in that department. We have to prove in four days already again but it feels, for us at least, that it changed. If you are solid and not only solid but really good and aggressive and positive in defending then you can build on that. For me, it feels like it's the first time this season that we have that – late but hopefully not too late and now we have to build on that.

“But the most important thing in football is obviously our results and fighting through this situation today and getting three points, you just have to look in the dressing room... the boys are not silly – they know that we were not perfect – but they are really happy about that. It's three super-important points. I told the boys at half-time, we had these kind of games hundreds of times where it's really tough to get through and stuff like this.

“You have to be patient, you have to stay positive, you have to go for the moment. Ask if anybody would be happy if we win the game 1-0, of course everybody would. So that means we fight and work for this one moment where we can decide it. And in the end, we needed three – but that's fine. So yes, I think things changed but to show consistently we have to keep going and it will be a really tough game again against West Ham. They fight for everything, so we have to be ready for that.”