"I understand the flight from Liverpool to Napoli is very long. For the fans, it was a disappointing night. So I have to apologize," Klopp said at the press conference after the 1-4 defeat.
Last season, Liverpool reached the final with a perfect away record. No one thought they could slide so quickly when this year's season had not yet passed 1/4 of the journey. The result against Napoli was the Reds' worst loss since a 1-5 win over Ajax in 1966 in European competition. Looking more closely, this is the worst start to a season for the "Red Brigade" since Klopp took over the team 7 years ago. Injuries may be the main reason for this misery, but there is one more important thing that the team has lost, which is identity.
Liverpool at the moment, every time they play, bring a 50-50 feel to fans. They can beat Bournemouth 9-0 but can also wear the 1-4 shirt against Napoli. There are two reasons to explain the current fatigue, perhaps Klopp's army is too tired after last season with 63 matches. Or, the attitude and fighting spirit of many stars are having problems. Klopp was once proud when talking about his players' "burning" and calling them monsters. However, even when Alisson Becker blocked Victor Osimhen's penalty, the "Red Brigade"'s spirit did not increase.
Regarding the squad, Klopp has now seen the consequences of not investing in midfield. The hastily added Arthur Melo is counterproductive. The Brazilian midfielder needs more time to get into the rhythm of Liverpool after spending about 4 months on the bench at Juventus. New people, or not yet available, or not yet caught up.
With pillars such as Mohamed Salah, Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, all playing below their usual level. Discouraged spirit, lack of coordination and making silly mistakes, all were exposed against Napoli. In the last 7 matches, Van Dijk made major mistakes leading to 2 penalties. Before that, he had a 150-match streak without this poor record. The Kop's right wing is having problems, Salah has been dry from scoring since the beginning of the season while Alexander-Arnold seems unable to defend as Jamie Carragher said after the match. Meanwhile, Joe Gomez was breathing sluggishly, too tired and was replaced by Joel Matip. Goals conceded like that are too easy.
"We have left too many loopholes, it feels like Napoli has another player on the pitch. You cannot have good results at this stadium without careful preparation. Liverpool have to wake up quickly" - Robertson shared.
The loss to Napoli in such a way makes the confrontation with Wolves this weekend a big concern for Liverpool. Klopp is known for his ability to inspire, but now his students lack only that. The Champions League journey is still long and the opportunities are still there for The Kop. Only afraid that they can't overcome themselves, instead worrying that their opponents may stumble.
