News24
08 Mar 2021, 01:13 GMT+10
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it would take a "masterpiece" for him to figure out how to solve his side's crisis after a sixth consecutive home defeat as relegation-threatened Fulham won 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
The English champions have collapsed from leading the Premier League at Christmas to looking increasingly likely to miss out on next season's Champions League.
READ | Man United stun City in EPL derby, snapping 21-game winning streak
Liverpool are seventh in the table, four points adrift of the top four, and having played more games than all of their rivals for a Champions League place.
An injury crisis has played a major part, particularly in central defence with the talismanic Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip ruled out for the season.
However, Klopp is also now under the spotlight as his decision to make seven changes from Thursday's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea did little to aid his side's confidence.
"We never had a momentum in the season," said Klopp.
"You can see it's still in the boys. They still have it all but at the moment can't show it. It would be a masterpiece to find out how we change that overnight."
READ | Liverpool's nightmare continues with sixth straight home loss after Fulham defeat
Liverpool's best chance of a return to the Champions League may now be by winning that competition for a seventh time.
Klopp's men travel to Budapest for the second leg of their last 16 tie against Leipzig on Wednesday, leading 2-0 from the first leg.
Liverpool will need a major improvement to triumph in Europe's elite club competition, with Jamie Carragher, who played in their 2005 Champions League winning side, claiming the current crop are "mentality midgets".
Referencing Klopp's tag of "mentality monsters" to describe last term's champions, Carragher told Sky Sports: "Jurgen Klopp previously called this team mentality monsters and that was absolutely right at the times.
"But right now they are like mentality midgets. This team is just not dealing well with adversity at any point in the last four months. That's just not acceptable at Liverpool."
Pressed on Liverpool's lack of fight, Klopp conceded their mentality could be questioned.
"The reaction football-wise was kind of OK. There are a lot of players who are not on the pitch who can't be a leader in this moment. That is clear," Klopp said.
"We don't have the mentality we are used to but the boys want to win games and I saw that today. We still made mistakes and that's the problem.
"We have to make sure the mistakes we make are not accountable. We have to make sure we win a game again. If it is 1-0 that is fine."
Admitting their top four bid is no longer his main focus, Klopp added: "It (the top four) is really not my concern at the moment. I cannot think about that. We have to win a football game.
"We have to win one football game, that would be helpful already."
Get a daily dose of International Travel News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to International Travel News.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, New York: Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high this week, buoyed by growing institutional interest and a wave of pro-crypto...
SHENZHEN, China: As global chip competition intensifies, Huawei Technologies is exploring new markets in the Middle East and Southeast...
LONDON/NEW YORK CITY: American grocery bills may be headed higher as coffee and orange juice prices face upward pressure from new tariffs...
BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 15 (ANI): The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal,...
Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav attended the 'Madhya Pradesh Business Investment Forum Program'...
New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal launched multiple Capacity Building...
Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav held wideranging interactions with industry experts for bringing...
By Shafali Nigam New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): India's civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)...