The Reds got their Champions League group stage campaign off to the worst possible start in southern Italy, with last season’s runners-up trailing 3-0 at half-time thanks to Piotr Zielinski’s penalty and goals from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni. Simeone. That three-goal lead could have been four if Alisson Becker hadn’t saved Victor Osimhen’s penalty in the first half – but Napoli found a fourth goal just after half-time as Zielinski scored. Luis Diaz’s consolation goal could only spark a minor revival. Klopp’s Liverpool have now won just two of their seven games in all competitions this season and the German believes his side need to be better at “almost everything”. Image: Mohamed Salah, left, and Harvey Elliott react during Liverpool’s defeat at Napoli “It was really hard to take but I’d say it’s not that hard to explain,” Klopp told BT Sport. “First, Napoli played very well and we didn’t. This is the first explanation for the defeat. The two penalties we conceded were both a bit unlucky. “The next two goals we concede are handed to them on a plate. This is not nice and we should have defended better in the first place and, of course, in the last minute as well. “We weren’t solid defensively or offensively. With Alisson in goal you have to be very bad to concede three goals. [in the first half]. You could see it on the field. We weren’t working as a team. That’s why we lose games.” Liverpool’s next game sees them face Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday and Klopp believes Bruno Lage’s side must be “laughing” at the prospect of playing his side. Image: Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski, left, scores his side’s fourth goal past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson “We have to reinvent ourselves,” added the Reds boss. “There are a lot of things missing, not in every game, but the fun thing is that we have to do it in the middle of a Premier League season and a Champions League campaign. We need a set-up to be better at almost everything.” “We’ve got to play in three days against Wolves. If Wolves saw this game tonight they wouldn’t stop laughing and say it’s the perfect time.”
Klopp: I won’t be sacked like Tuchel – our owners are calm
Image: Jurgen Klopp watches as his Liverpool side lose 4-1 at Napoli
The Liverpool manager also hit back at Chelsea’s sacking of Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday night, with the Blues a point ahead of Klopp’s side in the Premier League. Klopp admitted he does not expect to be pushed in the same way Tuchel was – despite Chelsea and Liverpool enduring similar starts to the season – and says he has the full support of the Reds hierarchy. Asked if he was worried about his future after Tuchel was sacked earlier on Wednesday, Klopp said: “Not really, but who knows? “The difference is them [Chelsea’s owners] they are different kind of owners. Our owners are rather calm and expect me to sort out the situation and don’t think that someone else has to solve it.”
