Joselu strike frustrates Klopp as Liverpool held to a draw
A disappointed Jurgen Klopp said his Liverpool side had to improve their finishing if they are to have any chance of challenging for the Premier League title.
Despite taking the lead at Newcastle United yesterday thanks to a long-range effort from Philippe Coutinho in the 29th minute, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw as the home side equalised through Joselu seven minutes later.
The result means that the Merseyside club go into the international break in seventh place, seven points behind both Manchester City and United.
“If you don’t help yourself no one else help you,” Klopp told the BBC. “It will be like this until we score.
“We play like this it makes sense that we play like this usually we score in situations like this. We have to accept this and carry on.”
The draw continues an underwhelming run of form for Klopp’s men, who have picked up just five points from their past four games and have only won one of their past seven games in all competitions.
Liverpool spurned a number of chances in the second half to take all three points, with Daniel Sturridge, Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among those to spurn chances to clinch the three points.
“I am disappointed, frustrated, whatever you want,” Klopp said. “Away at Newcastle for each team will be a difficult place to play. We scored
a wonderful goal and created wonderful chances. We shot the ball over the goal even when it was empty.
“We created five or six outstanding, big chances. Usually we score with one of them. I didn’t see one more chances for Newcastle. They got one chance and scored. That doesn’t feel too fair.”
Klopp’s view of the game was shared by his captain Jordan Henderson, who said that poor finishing had again proven costly as they look to win the club’s first league title since 1990.
“It feels like we are saying same thing,” the midfielder said. “We do so many good things but come away frustrated.
“It is a strange feeling. We created good chances to win the game and were comfortable but overall we are frustrated.
“We have to keep going, keep creating and they will turn into goals. Saying that, we did keep going. I feel once we get one they will all start going in.”
Henderson also paid tribute to goalscorer Coutinho, who has now scored in three successive games.
This comes after the Brazilian was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer as Liverpool turned down a number of bids from the Primera Liga side for him.
“Philippe was brilliant again today,” Henderson said.
“He deserved his goal. He is a great person, a fantastic player for this team.
“We all love him. A lot of things happen in football. Phil has been brilliant. He has put his frustration into games and is playing with freedom. “He has been fantastic.” Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez was pleased with his side’s point against the club he managed between 200410.
“When you get just one point at home we cannot be happy but against a top six like Liverpool, creating so many chances, you have to be a little bit happy,” the Spaniard said.
“The way our players were working, tackling and trying to win every ball was fantastic.”
Newcastle have 10 points after nine games of the season, and Benitez said of his side, who were promoted in the summer: “We have what we have. We are happy with that.”