Jurgen Klopp desires Liverpool to push on from a managed Champions League victory in opposition to Rangers that started with the extensively scrutinised Trent Alexander-Arnold’s gorgeous free-kick.
Having been held to a irritating 3-3 draw within the Premier League by Brighton on Saturday, the Reds returned to Anfield on Tuesday on the lookout for a return to profitable methods in opposition to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s males.
Liverpool responded with a 2-0 victory in opposition to Rangers that was extra complete than the scoreline suggests, with Alexander-Arnold’s glorious effort complemented by a Mohamed Salah spot-kick.
The hole would have been wider had it not been for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor’s glorious efficiency on an evening when the hosts efficiently switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
“Good game, actioned the game we wanted to play,” Liverpool boss Klopp stated.
“A really good defensive performance in a new structure, offensively created an awful lot. The Rangers goalie had some really nice saves and we missed some other (chances) but I liked it a lot.
“The two goals we scored were really nice. OK, one is a penalty but the move from Lucho (Luis Diaz) for the pen was really good. We played good in these areas.
“The free-kick from Trent was outstanding and set-piece goals are actually my favourite goals because you don’t have to wait for VAR. You just can celebrate them.
“So, in the end I think Rangers came up a little bit but only put us in one situation, really, where Ali (Alisson Becker) had to make a save. But from that, I liked the game a lot.
“No frustration (about not scoring more) at all. I really didn’t want to sit here now and talk about 4-0 or whatever – 2-0 is top, gives us three points. Let’s keep going.”
Liverpool are second in Group A after following the embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Napoli with back-to-back house wins in opposition to Ajax and Rangers.
Now the Reds will look to get again on monitor within the Premier League, the place a below-par begin to the marketing campaign means they’re 11 factors behind Premier League leaders Arsenal forward of their journey to north London on Sunday.
“The criticism is completely fine,” Klopp stated. “We are not over the moon about our situation, let me say it like this.
“I don’t think (criticism) had too much to do with the situation. It was the game that gave us this job to do.
“But I saw tonight a team fully committed. That is what I like a lot and that’s what we have to do.”
Klopp joked he has been unable to learn newspapers for a number of weeks because of the criticism – an strategy England supervisor Gareth Southgate might have taken throughout the current worldwide break.
The Three Lions boss’ choice to omit Alexander-Arnold from the matchday squad in opposition to Germany induced consternation and the right-back can be within the highlight with each Liverpool efficiency earlier than the World Cup.
“He played a good game, defensively especially,” Klopp stated. “Wonderful goal.
“We set it up differently. We cannot talk about that every week but Trent has no defensive problem. We had a defensive problem – hopefully ‘had’.”
While Liverpool are properly positioned to progress, Rangers have but to place some extent on the board in Group A on the midway level.
Van Bronckhorst’s Gers welcome the Reds to Ibrox subsequent Wednesday and the Dutchman hopes his facet be taught from Tuesday’s Anfield defeat.
“We are competing against one of the best sides in Europe so the gap is there,” he stated. “That doesn’t mean you have to lose the game.
“I think we competed really well because it’s a strong team, set-pieces we defended really well, which is very hard because they take it really well. They have good headers.
“We will learn from this game. My team will learn from this game, my players personally and we should take the experience into the next game and also into the league performance.”
Source: www.impartial.co.uk
