After Liverpool suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to Brighton in the FA Cup, Jürgen Klopp met with the media. The boss discussed Liverpool's performance in general, how the squad was going to need a lift after this performance and what's next for the club.
It is evident that Liverpool were focused on this match, especially after losing to Brighton earlier in the year. Klopp admits Liverpool played better this time out, but it was still not good enough to get the job done.
“We came here to go through to the next round, with the game a couple of weeks ago in mind, which was pretty much rock-bottom of the performances we had in my time [here],” Klopp said. So that was better today, much better. But still, in the end, we concede two goals from set-pieces. We pretty much closed the gaps where they passed through last time, but around set-pieces that doesn't help, so you have to do different stuff, so twice we were not close enough to avoid the goal. That doesn't feel great, obviously. That's not cool, but we have to take it.”
Liverpool and their supporters would love for something to go their way for a change in a season plagued by injuries and devastating losses. Klopp feels the same way.
“I think this is really a way you can get knocked out of a cup competition,” he said. “If we are in a better situation, 10 points more in the league and stuff like this and then you lose here at Brighton, you just say, 'Respect.' What they do is really good. But we are obviously in a situation where we constantly want to make the final step, and that's why it feels now especially bad in this moment because it didn't happen. But there were, again, steps in the right direction – you can imagine nobody wants to hear that anymore, I cannot hear it anymore, but it's still right. That means we have to go from there.”
The Reds must put this disappointment behind them quickly as they seek to salvage their season within league play.
“Now we play Wolves again and we will try there again and that's how it is,” Klopp said “We have to build on these kind of things, we have to improve, we have to do better, body language with a couple of boys has to be much better, defending in the formation has to be better from a few.”
Liverpool needed this win for many reasons. Their last loss to Brighton shocked the football world and you know the club had redemption on their mind. Instead, they are looking for answers to the same questions that have been asked all season Klopp is right. If Liverpool were in a better spot on the table, a loss in the FA Cup would not have stung so badly. But this season has not gone according to plan and Liverpool desperately needs something to build on, Unfortunately, this match was not it.
