Jurgen Klopp Says Liverpool 'Like a Dog' in Moving Away from High Press

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has compared the Reds' shift away from relying on a high press to training a dog.

The German was explaining why his side have adopted new approaches this season after they beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 on Saturday.

Per MailOnline's Adam Shergold, he said:

"Last year, our big strength was high pressing, and then when the opponents didn't play football, it was like, 'sorry.'

"It's like a dog. If you don't give him his favourite toy and throw him something else, he thinks, 'No, I don't want that. I want the other one. I want to play high press.'

"So, that's how you develop, step by step, doing different things. Now we have to be better in the midfield press."

Klopp's Liverpool side have often employed the strategy of pressing high up the pitch with intensity since he took charge in 2015.

The approach yielded success last season as the Reds reached the UEFA Champions League final and scored more than 100 goals in all competitions.

Their new game plan—which has seen them play more conservatively and press teams more in the middle rather than the final third—has produced strong results so far:

Not for the first time this season, the Reds had to work hard to grind out their victory over Huddersfield.

Last year, the Reds frequently blew teams away when everything clicked, but in difficult games like Saturday's, they may not have come away with all three points.

Sports writer Ian Herbert believes there's room for improvement at Liverpool but the new approach is a smart one:

Indeed, while Liverpool are yet to hit the same heights they did last season, the strategy will pay off if they reach the end of the campaign with more reserves than their rivals, which could be vital after another year of battling on multiple fronts.

In the coming weeks, the Reds will hope to rack up some more goals in home matches against Red Star Belgrade and Cardiff City, and a positive result in the latter would continue their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

The longer they can sustain that run, the better their chances in the title race.