Liverpool revert to their pre-Christmas malaise as West Ham United complete an emphatic league double over the Reds…
After encouraging back-to-back wins over Leicester City and Sunderland, Liverpool began 2016 with another shoddy away performance on Saturday lunchtime.
With worrying similarities to recent defeats at Newcastle United and Watford, the Merseysiders were again categorically outfought and out-thought by a supposedly inferior opposition.
Headed goals early in each half from Michail Antonio and former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll gave West Ham United a 2-0 win and prompted a harsh assessment from Kop boss Jürgen Klopp during his post-match press conference.
“It was not enough from my team today,” admitted the German. “In the decisive moments we were there, but we were not there 100 per cent.
“All of the TV stations just now have told me the situation with Alberto Moreno was a foul and it could have changed the situation around the first goal a little bit, but we didn’t react right to it because there was no whistle. We have to avoid the cross.
“We came back a little bit in the game in the first half and everybody saw when we start playing with a clear direction then we had our moments and made chances, but we didn’t score.
“In the second half, we started OK but out of nothing it was 2-0. Of course, West Ham had chances in the first half after set-plays, throw-ins, bad defending – we showed it [to the players] at half-time on TV.
“In the second half, we had our moments again, but five against one on the sideline, nobody won the ball, cross, Carroll against Nathaniel Clyne, no chance for Clyney again, header and 2-0.
“That’s what makes me angry today because you saw in each situation when we started playing fighting football, we had better moments but we scored no goals in this game.
“It’s our responsibility and it’s not a day for being disappointed, only a day for being angry about ourselves – and that’s what we are.”
Victory for West Ham, coupled with their 3-0 win at Anfield in August, ensured a first league double over Liverpool since the 1963-64 season.
The Hammers also leapfrogged their lacklustre visitors in the current Premier League standings courtesy of the three points.
Elaborating on his disappointment at the nature of the goals conceded, Klopp added: “You have to avoid the crosses, that’s the thing.
“In the box in the air, it’s 50/50. If Carroll or Christian Benteke go for the challenge it’s 60/40. But the first goal was not Carroll.
“I know how football works, we have to avoid the cross. There are crosses in the game, that’s normal. It’s football, defending is a part of football.
“I was a defender, I enjoyed it. It’s a nice part of the game, you get dirty after, it’s not a problem, you don’t have to wash your clothes yourself. It’s our responsibility [to defend].”
Klopp has little time to correct any deficiencies with the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final with Stoke City on Tuesday night.
So that’s what he thought about the game, how about you? Let us know your verdict below…
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