Jurgen Klopp admitted he cannot remember a worse game during his managerial career than Liverpool’s 3-0 thumping at Brighton, describing his side’s display as “horrible to watch”.
Liverpool were thoroughly outplayed, with Brighton enjoying 62 per cent of the possession, while they had nine shots on target compared to two for the visitors.
Solly March scored twice and Danny Welbeck volleyed in a late third to move the Seagulls above Liverpool and into seventh in the Premier League, meaning Klopp’s side could end the weekend in ninth and 10 points outside the top four if Newcastle beat Fulham, live on Sky Sports, on Sunday.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brighton’s win against Liverpool.
Klopp accepted responsibility for the result but admitted Liverpool are at a “really low point,” saying: “It’s my job to make the right line-up, to set up the right tactics.
“I’m not sure if it’s because the game is still a few minutes ago but I can’t remember a worse game. I honestly can’t. Not only Liverpool.
“That’s my responsibility. That makes it a really low point.”
Klopp approached the away fans – who he described as “exceptional” – at full-time and appeared to apologise, with Liverpool’s supporters now seeing their side lose five times in nine games on the road in the Premier League this season.
While the travelling fans will attempt to forget about their team’s display on the south coast, Klopp said he will not be instructing his side to do the same on their journey back to Liverpool.
Asked if it was the kind of match that his players must simply wipe from their memory, Klopp said: “There might be games, but this is not a one-off.
“At the moment, it’s not great. Yes, we have injury problems, but the team we lined up was absolutely not bad.”
Klopp accepts blame for failed tactical switch
Trent Alexander-Arnold reacts as Brighton celebrate one of their three goals
Liverpool spent much of the afternoon in a slightly different shape from their usual 4-3-3.
Klopp deployed a midfield diamond that saw Thiago in an advanced position behind Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, who received little service on his Premier League debut.
Thiago struggled to exert any influence over the game, while Trent Alexander-Arnold – who lined up far higher than the rest of Liverpool’s back four – was repeatedly exposed by Kaoru Mitoma.
“We tried to help the boys with slightly different organisation,” revealed Klopp. “We had moments where it worked well and we put them under pressure, but we lose the ball much too easy, so we never got something going.
“Brighton was better throughout the whole 96, 97 minutes. It was clear that one team was ready to play a really good game, and one team had to fight with themselves.
“The problems are the same – we don’t win the key moments, we don’t win the challenges and we lose the ball too easy.
“It’s fully my responsibility with a different formation and it didn’t work out. The outcome was horrible to watch.”
