Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's manager, spoke openly after leading his team to a hard-fought victory against Wolverhampton in the latest English Premier League match.
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, admitted he was not very pleased with the team's second-half performance, despite their 2-1 home win over Wolverhampton in the English Premier League last night. He acknowledged the need to fix issues related to conceding goals from set pieces and praised Florian Wirtz for scoring his first goal for the team, while also commending Jeremy Frimpong's excellent play.
Klopp said, "The game went as I wanted until the score was 2-1. We conceded a goal, and it’s not the first time we’ve let in a goal from a set piece. The positive aspect is that for most of the season, when we conceded from set pieces, we tended to lose. But in the last two games, we managed to win. We clearly understand that we need to improve in that area."
When asked if he was satisfied with the second-half performance, Klopp responded, "Not at all. Of course, if you lead 2-0 at halftime, you expect the second half to be different from what we faced. But in football, goals can greatly shift momentum, and that’s why I was very frustrated. It’s not that after falling behind 1-2 we didn’t keep possession, but the game became much more even."
"You always feel nervous whenever they attack, especially when they bring in another big player and flood crosses into the box. But I think we didn’t lose many major chances. The key missed chance was the one that led to the goal against us."
Speaking about Wirtz, Klopp said, "I think he must feel relieved. I saw his reaction after scoring, and I saw the same from his teammates. I think they were very happy he scored his first goal because football is often judged by results, and players are assessed on goals and assists. Sometimes we forget there’s much more to do during the game."
"I think he has performed well in several games for us, and I feel he’s improving with every match he plays. He’s getting fitter and coming closer to scoring his first goal. So it’s no surprise to me that he scored today, and he will definitely score more for us. I also liked his performance in many parts of today’s game. I thought he was excellent in several moments."
Regarding Frimpong, Klopp said, "If he’s fully fit, he can definitely help us. Today, he provided a great assist. Speed is his asset, and it’s very important in modern football. Creating scoring chances against teams that defend deeply with many players often relies on set pieces, which is not our strength. Having his speed is crucial because the first goal we scored came purely from individual skill—quickly driving forward and crossing the ball. Okay, we were in the right position, but this kind of play is what I wanted since the summer."