Liverpool's 4-1 loss to Napoli my worst game as their manager, says Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool lost 4-1 to Napoli last week in UCL
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Liverpool lost 4-1 to Napoli last week in UCL

Highlights

  • Liverpool lost 4-1 to Napoli last week in UCL
  • It was Liverpool’s second defeat of the 2022-23 season
  • The Reds finished runners-up in UCL last term

Jurgen Klopp has termed Liverpool's 4-1 loss to Napoli in the Champions League opener last week as the "worst game" since he took charge of the club in 2015.

Liverpool, last season's runners up at both Premier League and Champions League, have managed just three wins in eight games so far this term; out of which, one victory is the Community Shield triumph.

While they have started the European tournament with a loss, they are seventh in the league table, six points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

It has been six days since Liverpool last played, with all Premier League matches at the weekend postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Reds are now gearing up for their upcoming fixture, which is against Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday (12.30 AM).

"We had a meeting with the players, I watched the [Napoli] game and it was a real horror to be honest. It was the worst game we played since I am here. How can you get confidence in football? It all starts with defending the ball, and that's what we have to do. If we can get momentum, then we can play football," Klopp told reporters ahead of the Ajax game.

On being asked if the break could aid Liverpool's rhythm, the German boss replied, "Did you see our game [against Napoli]? If we could lose this kind of rhythm it would be really cool."

Meanwhile, Liverpool have asked UEFA to be able to mark the Queen's death with a minute's silence before the game with Ajax at Anfield. Speaking about the same, Klopp said a minute's silence is "the right thing to do" adding, "I don't think our people need any kind of advice from me for showing respect."

Last season, Liverpool fans booed 'Abide With Me' and 'God Save the Queen' before last season's FA Cup final at Wembley. Following this, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned those who booed.

However, Klopp is confident that Liverpool supporters will show respect to the queen. The Liverpool head coach has stated that the respect shown by the fans to Cristiano Ronaldo when they hosted Manchester United last season - following the death of the forward's baby boy - demonstrated there should be no concerns about their behaviour.

"There are plenty of examples where people showed exactly the right respect. One which surprised me, and I was really proud of that moment, was last season when we played Manchester United around a very sad situation with Cristiano Ronaldo's family. And that is what I expect. For me, it is clear that's what we have to do. That's it," added Klopp.

Klopp's mother - named Elisabeth - died last year in February, aged 81, but he was unable to attend the funeral in person due to the Covid travel restrictions in place at the time. He said he understood the grief people were feeling and added, "I am 55 years old and she is the only Queen of England I ever knew. I don't know her, but the things you can see she was a really warm, nice-loved lady and that is all that I need to know.

"Because of my personal experience not too long ago... It is obviously not about what I think, but what people felt who are much closer to her and I respect their grief a lot, and that is why I will show my respect tomorrow night with a minute's silence if it goes through."

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