Net pains taking toll on Liverpool, admits Alcantara
THIAGO ALCANTARA admits Liverpool’s problems in front of goal are affecting confidence, and says improvement is needed if they are to retain their title.
Jurgen Klopp’s side had 66 per cent possession and 17 shots against Premier League leaders Manchester United on Sunday but managed just three on target in a goalless draw which saw them drop to fourth in the table.
The defending champions are on a three-match goalscoring drought in the league, which is their worst since March 2005.
Summer arrival Thiago, who on Sunday made his first Anfield appearance four months after signing from Bayern Munich due to injury and illness, says the lack of goals has hit belief.
‘When we didn’t realise (the
We’re happy in some way but we have to do better to be top of the league
chances) and didn’t make the goals, we’re just getting our selfconfidence a bit down and that’s why the game changed,’ he said.
‘It’s football and in some minutes of the game you are in high emotions and sometimes you are low – it’s part of the game.
‘We are happy in some way with our performance – how we did in some moments of the game – but we have to do much better to be on top of the league.’
Liverpool still have the league’s leading scorer in Mohamed Salah with 13 but Sadio Mane has only six and Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota, who is currently injured, have five apiece.
Thiago (right) said it was the responsibility of everyone to chip in when things were tough.
‘We have many players that can score, people in the midfield that can score as well, people from the defence can score. It’s a matter of creating the chances we are creating to be effective, he added.’ Captain Jordan Henderson, who played his second successive match in an all-midfield central-defensive partnership with Fabinho, agreed with the Spain international.
‘We need to score goals to win games – and I’m not talking just about the front three,’ he said. ‘I’m talking about everyone; midfielders, full-backs getting into the box, set-pieces. Everybody can chip in. ‘We gave everything to try to win the game but unfortunately just couldn’t find that goal, which we find ourselves keeping saying over the last few weeks. That needs to change quickly. We’re all human. You can see when we miss chances we’re a little bit down confidence-wise.
‘We’ve just got to keep working hard and not think about it too much, because the quality we possess going forward is frightening.’