Jurgen Klopp called Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat by Brighton the “worst game” he could remember, but said he had seen “no signs” that it would happen.
It was a defeat that most fans feared, and many even expected, as Solly March’s double and Danny Welbeck’s late try earned Brighton three points.
But in a post-match interview, Klopp insisted there was “no indication” that Liverpool would collapse, as happened at the Amex.
“I had absolutely no signs of this performance before the game, but probably sometimes it is,” he said.
“Yesterday or this morning I didn’t think this could happen.
“I knew it would be difficult against Brighton, but it’s not that they always cope with everything.
“We won the balls, we had possession of the ball, but we lost the balls too easily — my God. Then you cannot be protected in these moments.
“Improving from today shouldn’t be too difficult.”
As Klopp continued, he admitted that he was “extremely disappointed” with what, in his opinion, could be the “worst game” during his tenure.
“It should be easy to do better than today, because this is a really low point,” he said.
“I can’t remember a worse game. Maybe it was, but today it was the lowest point.
“We have to make big steps. Today we can’t choose from this game absolutely nothing [to work with], except what didn’t work.”
A manager who motioned to the fans for forgiveness after a full day’s work definitely cannot be absolved of the blame for his team’s performance.
Klopp admitted that the attempt to switch to a 4-2-3-1 scheme with Thiago at number 10 did not pay off, refusing to experiment at half-time.
“Congratulations to Brighton, they played a super game against a bad opponent,” he added.
“We really weren’t very good today. We tried to help the guys with a slightly different formation. The organization was completely wrong.
“It was too easy. A very deserved defeat and a well-deserved victory for Brighton.
