Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Klopp close to vomiting after Pool defensive errors
LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp admits his side’s defending against Bournemouth almost made him vomit but he is likely to experience a few more days of sickness before the season is out.
Having tried to close out the game at 2-1, having recovered from going behind to a gift of a goal for Benik Afobe in only the seventh minute, they were undone in the 87th minute when they failed to clear a long throw and Josh King equalised.
With Stoke, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Watford their next four matches, Klopp and his players can expect to have their set-piece frailties tested to the maximum.
“We could close the game in one moment, we didn’t, we left it open,” said Klopp, who switched to a back three after being forced to take off goalscorer Philippe Coutinho after he was ill at half-time.
“Then a second ball after a set-piece and that made me nearly vomit, actually. That’s not nice but we have to take it. It’s my responsibility, all of this.
“I have to be clearer i n these situations, obviously, but I will find a solution for this.
“It should be disappointing — that’s really important — but we have to take it like it is, one point more than before.
“It’s not what we wanted but could have been worse, actually.
“We all know we lost games like this already in the season and last night we didn’t. Maybe we can take this as a positive and then drive to Stoke and try to do better.”
Coutinho and Divock Origi, back in the starting line-up because of a knee cartilage injury to Sadio Mane which is likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season, scored either side of half-time to put Liverpool in the driving seat — only for them to self-destruct in the closing moments.