Jurgen Klopp praised Bournemouth's performance and slammed his team's defending following the 1-0 loss to the Cherries.
Jurgen Klopp has slammed his side's performance in the defeat to Bournemouth, saying the Cherries deserved all three points as it was never really their game.
Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, a major setback for their top four ambitions.
Liverpool slip up
Phillip Billing fired the home side ahead in the 28th minute of the game, and although Liverpool pressed for an equaliser and were even given a chance on the penalty spot which Salah missed in the 69th minute, Billiing's goal proved to be the match-winner.
The loss meant Liverpool missed the chance to temporarily take a place in the top four on goal difference before Tottenham played Nottingham Forest later in the day.
Klopp was speaking about the loss and admitted his team struggled to break Bournemouth down. He explained that the Cherries kept a well-structured block and were devastating in counters because his team left so much space behind.
"What can I say? It was never really our game,” Klopp said, per the BBC.
“We were dominant in the first half but mostly we put ball in at the wrong moment against a compact side.
"They had their counter-attacks they wanted to have. I really think the spaces we had to play were super clear, super open.
"The rest was more or less busy with covering other spaces, we didn't use that often enough, didn't enjoy the challenge to face a deep, compact side.
It's clear we cannot get through with all the balls but it was like we didn't get through and things didn't work out. Little things witch make a massive difference and then we go 1-0 down, not helpful obviously in the counter-attack.
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"They did the same stuff but it was successful enough because we didn't defend it well and then I thought we started pretty well in the second half and then got the penalty and we missed it and after that we were in a real rush and didn't create enough really and that's it."
Klopp thought his team did not defend very well, pointing out how his team were carved open in the goal Billing scored. He went at his team for how poorly they covered space, suggesting the positioning was not the best it could be.
"We cannot go through it completely, pass the ball, don't cover the space. I don't know 100% anymore how the positioning was, I need to watch it back. In the end, a ball comes from the outside into the inside and probably it should be defendable as well but I have to watch it back."
Klopp also spoke about Salah's penalty miss, he thought that if Salah had scored, it could have meant a different, more positive result for his team.
However, he pulled his punches when talking about the player himself, suggesting it was normal for footballers to miss penalties.
"The last penalty we got in the league was long ago and it's completely hypothetical but if we score there, the game could turn. It doesn't make the performance better but could change the result at least. He scores goals, he scores a lot of goals but he missed the penalty, that's life.
Klopp praises Bournemouth
Klopp was full of praise for Bournemouth, who he thought rose up to the occasion in their bid to avoid relegation.
He thought their results have yet to match their performances this season, as he believes they should be higher up the table with the way they play.
"It was clear from the first second that we come here, Bournemouth are fighting to stay in the league, wonderful club, wonderful city, they want to stay in and they do really well.”
Results were not going in the right direction in the last few months but the performances look different and so they deserve the three points today, that's it."
He proclaimed that Bournemouth deserved all three points against his team, lauding their effort on the day.
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