Jurgen Klopp Comments on Liverpool Defensive Criticism After Win vs. West Brom

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hit back at critics of his side's defensive abilities, saying he has lost respect for those people.

Klopp was speaking after watching the Reds hold firm for a 2-1 Premier League win over West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Saturday.

"I heard it a few times (that Liverpool are suspect defensively) but I lose respect when people say this," Klopp said, as per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo. "That’s not important because I do not have to respect everybody and I don’t need most of the people."

"We defended well against [Manchester] United, brilliant, and then against West Brom it was so difficult but we have no defensive problem," Klopp added. 

Klopp was particularly impressed with the way in which central defenders Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip handled Albion's set-piece threat.

As noted by Pearce, the German manager said: "We needed to be really aggressive to defend their long balls from the first moment without making fouls. That’s quite a challenge but they did brilliantly. When the ball is in the air, [Salomon] Rondon wants the ball or a foul, so Dejan and Joel were outstanding."

However, Liverpool missed the chance to go top of the Premier League temporarily, on goal difference, when Gareth McAuley stuck late on for the visitors.

And Klopp realises there remains defensive work to be done on the training pitch: "When people say we have some issues with set-pieces, how can I say they are wrong? I think 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the goals we concede are set pieces, but they’re all different and we’re still working on it. It's not the same problem we had last year, when whoever was scoring against us."

The win over Albion sees the Reds sit third in the league, which is no mean feat for a side who have played four of the current top seven teams in the standings.

Liverpool's free-flowing, goal-laden attacking displays have really caught the eye in the early stages of the season, but, as Klopp readily admits, their defensive play has yet to match up.

They have showed improved organisation, and in Lovren and Matip, the Reds have a pair who look to be settling well as a partnership.

Reds legend Jamie Carragher spoke last month of the central defensive duo, as per the 5times podcast (h/t Jack Lusby of This is Anfield): "Matip and Lovren going forward as a partnership will be a lot better, the more they play together as a team. ... If your two centre-backs build a partnership, don’t get too many injuries, can play week in week out, you can build from that."

However, some question marks remain over new goalkeeper Loris Karius, who has ousted Simon Mignolet as the club's number one.

Klopp has put his faith in Karius since bringing him to Anfield from Bundesliga side Mainz, but the stopper hasn't looked all that comfortable amid the cut and thrust of Premier League action.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

One area he will be keen to improve will be when the ball is coming in through a crowded penalty area. He has shown signs of being susceptible to the high ball and needs to show more authority so his defensive colleagues can gain more confidence in him.

But it could be said that the Reds back line is a work in progress, with Klopp attempting to fit at least three new signings in. So, in this sense, it will take time.

Leicester City's measly defensive record played a huge part in their title success, and if Liverpool are to mount a similar challenge, they will need to show the resilience of their West Brom win every week.