WE’VE GONE BACKWARDS Defence weaker than last season says legend Thommo

JURGEN KLOPP is paying the price for failing to address Liverpool’s long-standing defensive problems.

That’s the damning verdict of Liverpool’s former European Cupwinning captain Phil Thompson, who claims the Reds are even weaker at the back than they were last season.

Liverpool have slipped to ninth in the Premier League and have shipped 16 goals in nine games – their worst defensive display since 1964.

Thompson claims Liverpool’s woes date back to Brendan Rodgers and says

Klopp should have bought two centre-halves in the summer instead of signing no one after missing out on Virgil van Dijk.

“We were all devastated after Sunday’s game because all our frailties were exposed by Spurs,” said Gerard Houllier’s former No.2. “They were there for all to see.

“What disappoints everyone is that those issues haven’t been rectified in recent years. I said all summer that even if we signed Virgil van Dijk he was never going to be the answer to all our problems.

“Yes, he’s superb and would make us better but he’s not a talker, he’s not an aggressive player. We needed two centre-backs.

“Joel Matip was the only member of the back five at Wembley against Spurs who wasn’t part of Brendan Rodgers’ reign.

“Problems that occurred back then still haven’t been sorted out. There’s actually less cover at centre-back now than last season with Lucas Leiva having gone. He would always do a job.”

Thompson (above) says Klopp sold his best centrehalf in Mamadou Sakho and urged him to drop under-fire Dejan Lovren for tomorrow’s clash with Huddersfield after his nightmare in the 4-1 hammering by Spurs at Wembley (left). “I still believe we sold our best defender in the summer when Mamadou Sakho went to Crystal Palace,” he said. “He was a warrior and a fighter. People say he looked ungainly but you knew what you got with him.

“I know there were issues off the field with Sakho, and the manager took him out of the first team set-up, but surely three months is enough to isolate someone.

“I would have to take Lovren out of the firing line this week.

“After what he went through at Wembley I think it’s too raw at the moment to play him again so soon.

“Jurgen will have to make changes. If he doesn’t have faith in Ragnar Klavan, then he has to go with Joe Gomez in there alongside Matip.

“We’re not concentrated or organised sufficiently in defence. We are making basic errors of judgement, like when to back off, when to push up, when to hold the line.

“We have a run of winnable games coming up and we have to make sure we’re more solid at the back.”