Klopp: Hard to tighten defence without feeling pinch up front

JURGEN KLOPP admits that shoring up Liverpool’s defence has cost them some of their attacking verve.

Liverpool have scored 35 goals this season compared to 50 at this stage of the season 12 months ago and Klopp says this is partly down to him ordering his midfield to be more defensive.

He has tightened up the Reds backline so successfully that their tally of just five goals conceded is the jointbest in the Premier League.

But the German says that his critics still aren’t satisfied.

“When everything is brilliant and we score goals, you always ask about defending and how we can fix that,” he said.

“We fixed that, kind of, and it always happens that initially you lose creativity. That is completely normal.

“I can’t say to the boys ‘we’ve fixed things at the back but we’re not doing enough offensively.’ That would be crazy.”

Klopp insists he is happy with his midfield, despite their poor displays in Champions League away games, and bristled at suggestions they are missing the dynamism of the injured Alex OxladeChamberlain (below).

He is irritated by claims Liverpool are not playing as fluently as last season given they have made their best start to a Premier League campaign with 33 points from 13 games.

“Bringing one player in would change everything?” he said. “That’s b ****** t and you know it. Really, if people cannot enjoy our football then I can’t help them.

“I get constantly confronted by people saying something is missing. Of course it could be better, but it’s not because of one player. “In the games we have won we were always the better side. Not one lucky game. That’s rare.” Klopp is still using the same midfield three from last season because new arrivals Naby Keita (above) and Fabinho have yet to live up to their combined £92.75million price-tags.

But the German is adamant they will come good, just like Oxlade-Chamberlain did last season when he found his feet a few months after arriving from Arsenal for £35million.

“At the same time next year we will all talk about Naby and Fabinho just like we talked last year about OxladeChamberlain,” he said.

“In the beginning it was not there and people asked ‘what about Oxlade-Chamberlain?’ They thought he was too expensive.

“But then he came back and he was ready.”