Wolves at the door for Klopp following second cup shock
THE season is falling apart around Jurgen Klopp’s ears as his nightmare week went from bad to worse to worse still.
The German’s side have been beaten at home in the League by Swansea, knocked out of the EFL Cup by Southampton and now eliminated from the FA Cup by a mid-Championship team.
Wolves were a goal up after 53 seconds and two ahead at half-time. By the time Liverpool got their act together it was too little, too late.
It’s 19 years since any Liverpool team lost three games in a week and Klopp blamed nobody but himself for this one.
“I am responsible for this performance 100%,” he said. “I do not blame a single player.
“I thought we could do better. I don’t look for excuses. Whatever you write, whatever you say, it’s OK.
“If someone asks if this is the lowest point of my Liverpool time until now, I don’t know. But if it is, it’s a perfect moment to turn because we cannot go lower.”
The gamble Klopp took was to again field a second string team in the FA Cup with Tuesday’s showdown with Chelsea in mind.
It now means that if they don’t reel in the Premier League leaders with a win there will be no silverware again this season.
Wolves boss Paul Lambert, who retains a remarkable personal unbeaten record at Anfield, had nothing but praise for his players.
“I thought we deserved it,” he said. “The first goal gave us something to hold on to, but on the counter-attack we were incredible.
“We have incredible speed with Nouha Dicko, Helder Costa and Andy Weimann, and everybody knows how Liverpool play.
“I thought the way to beat them was to play over the top. I thought it worked incredibly well.
“I have never been beaten here as a player or manager with Celtic, Aston Villa and Norwich, but this surpasses everything.”
Liverpool’s young team needed to play themselves into the game so losing a goal inside a minute was the last thing they needed.
Costa swung over a free-kick and centre-back Richard Stearman dived to head past Loris Karius.
Lambert’s team should have had another in the 11th minute when Costa, on loan from Benfica, was allowed to run unchallenged from well inside his own half, only to mishit his shot 10 yards out.
Liverpool offered little in response outside two half-hearted penalty appeals when Stearman blocked off Ovie Ejaria and Weimann challenged Georginio Wijnaldum.
Three minutes before the break Liverpool’s problems became really serious, as Wolves hit them with another lightning counter-attack.
It was Costa again who did the running but this time his pass freed Weimann, and he rounded Karius to make it 2-0, both goals scored in front of the Kop.
Klopp had big-gun reinforcements on the bench in Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge, Emre Can and James Milner and it was just a question of how long he left it before he bit the bullet.
It was just Coutinho on at halftime and there was an improvement.
The Brazilian, who has just signed Liverpool’s biggest ever contract, had his side’s first shot on target on the hour, although it was straight at Harry Burgoyne.
Sturridge was next to enter the fray in the 65th minute, then Can in the 74th, but it was still all huff and puff from Liverpool.
As the home team piled forward Wolves had a five against one break to kill the game off but the Liverpool one, Ragnar Klavan, somehow got the better of the five.
They had another opportunity to wrap it up 10 minutes from time when substitute Jon Dadi Bodvarsson had a clear chance from close range, but he prodded his effort straight at Karius.
It could have proved an expensive miss because Liverpool, out of nowhere, belatedly found a bit of their missing quality.
In the 86th minute Wolves for once failed to properly clear their lines, Sturridge headed back across goal and Divock Origi slammed in at the far post.
A minute later Burgoyne saved brilliantly with his legs from Origi’s snap shot.
Even then Wolves still posed a danger, and Lucas had to get back to block Bodvarsson’s shot after he had taken on the whole of the Liverpool defence by himself.
MATCH STATS
77 Possession 33 5 Shots on target 3 15 Shots off target 4 7 Corners 4 1 Offside 2 7 Fouls 13 1 Cautions 3 0 Sending-offs 0
CRAIG PAWSON had to make two decisions on Liverpool penalty appeals, but neither was clear-cut.