Klopp rules out deadline-beating deals as Liverpool surrender grip on FA Cup

By Sports Desk January 29, 2023

Jurgen Klopp ruled out rushing into the transfer market to boost Liverpool's flagging season after the holders suffered FA Cup elimination at Brighton and Hove Albion.

With a deadline for mid-season deals coming up on Tuesday, Klopp declared there would be no new faces arriving at Anfield.

Klopp told beIN Sports: "No, nothing will happen in this transfer window, that's all."

Liverpool's last trophy hope for this campaign lies in the Champions League, where they face Real Madrid at the last-16 stage, having lost to the Spanish giants in last year's final.

The Reds are out of both domestic cups and sit only ninth in the Premier League, having won just eight of their opening 19 games in the competition. Across all competitions, they have already lost nine times in 31 outings this term.

Klopp picked fault in the body language of several of his players in the 2-1 fourth-round loss to the Seagulls, which followed 15 days on from a 3-0 league defeat to the same opposition at the Amex Stadium.

He also wrote off Liverpool's set-piece defending as a major disappointment, with Brighton twice punishing the Reds from such situations.

"That doesn’t feel great, obviously. That's not cool, but we have to take it," Klopp said in his post-match press conference.

He added: "We have still space for improvement. We make steps, but we have to improve, we have to improve further on and that's what we will do."

Klopp felt the performance of his players on Sunday was far better than in their league display against Brighton, but these are small comforts.

Liverpool are in a crisis that is only deepening as their German boss fails to deliver results, despite being backed in the transfer market, with Dutch World Cup star Cody Gakpo arriving this month from PSV.

They face Wolves in the league next weekend, before a derby against Everton and a trip to high-flying Newcastle United precede the Champions League first leg against Madrid.

"If we are in a better situation, 10 points more in the league and stuff like this and then you lose here at Brighton, you just say, 'Respect'. What they do is really good," Klopp said.

"But we are obviously in a situation where we constantly want to make the final step, and that's why it feels now especially bad in this moment because it didn't happen.

"But there were, again, steps in the right direction. You can imagine nobody wants to hear that any more, I cannot hear it any more, but it's still right. That means we have to go from there.

"We have to improve, we have to do better, the body language with a couple of boys has to be much better, defending in the formation has to be better from a few."

Klopp felt Liverpool lacked a little luck, with Lewis Dunk deflecting in Brighton's leveller from Tariq Lamptey's shot before the winner came from Kaoru Mitoma in second-half stoppage time.

"You should not forget that," said Klopp, "but we are still out and that's obviously the worst outcome of a game you can have."

Related items

  • Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Netherlands: Koeman's side wrap up group stage campaign with away draw Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Netherlands: Koeman's side wrap up group stage campaign with away draw

    Netherlands ended their Group A3 campaign in the Nations League with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Stadion Bilino Polje on Tuesday. 

    Ronald Koeman's side, who had already secured their place in the quarter-final heading into the final group fixture, finished with nine points - five fewer than group winners Germany. 

    Brian Brobbey gave a second-string Oranje the breakthrough in the 24th minute when he headed home a cross from Noa Lang following a short corner kick. 

    But Ermedin Demirovic scored on the rebound, after Edin Dzeko's initial effort was stopped by goalkeeper Mark Flekken, to help Bosnia salvage a point in the 67th minute, as the hosts finished bottom of the group with two points. 

    Earlier, Dzeko's shot was cleared off the line by Jorrel Hato in the first half and the Bosnia captain also had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up just past the hour mark, before Sergej Barbarez's side found the leveller. 

    Data Debrief: Bosnia's spirited comeback

    The home side ended the first period without registering a single shot on target and only creating an expected goals (xG) of 0.54, compared to the Netherlands' xG of 1.29. 

    But they were a much-improved side after the break as they restricted the visitors to zero shots on target while recording three of their own to secure a point. They ended the second half with an xG of 0.46, which bettered the Netherlands' xG of 0.37 despite being lower than their first-half effort. 

    Prior to this fixture, Bosnia and Herzegovina had lost all four of their 2024-25 Nations League matches in which they were losing at half-time. But they fought back this time to end their League A stay with a draw.

  • Hungary 1-1 Germany: Late penalty forces visitors to settle for a draw Hungary 1-1 Germany: Late penalty forces visitors to settle for a draw

    Germany were denied victory away to Hungary in their final Nations League group game after conceding a 99th-minute equaliser to a Dominik Szoboszlai penalty.

    Julian Nagelsmann made nine changes from Germany's 7-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last time out, with this match confirmed as a dead rubber before kick-off, and they struggled for fluency in the first half.

    Germany failed to have a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes and lost the xG battle 0.51-0.17.

    Things soon picked up, with Leroy Sane having a goal disallowed following a VAR review before Kai Havertz hit the post with a volley just three minutes later, having only come on as a substitute a minute before. They had their goal after 76 minutes when Felix Nmecha was quickest to react to a rebound to score his first international goal.

    But Hungary were not to be denied after appeals for a penalty in the 97th minute for an alleged handball against Robin Koch. Following a VAR review, the spot kick was given and Szoboszlai earned a point for the hosts.

    Germany's position as winners of Group A3 had already been secured prior to this match, as had Hungary's finishing place of third. Nagelsmann's side will now advance to the Nations League quarter-final, where they will face a second-placed side from League A. Hungary, meanwhile, will face a second-placed side from League B in a relegation play-off.

    Data debrief: Germany keep scoring streak going

    Germany extended their run of scoring in Nations League matches to seven consecutive games with their 1-1 draw in Budapest.

    Nagelsmann's side conclude their group campaign with 18 goals in six matches, helped by their 7-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina last time out.

    Following their draw today, Germany have now scored in 12 straight matches, including friendlies.

  • Bahrain 2-2 Australia: Yengi rescues point for visitors with stoppage-time equaliser Bahrain 2-2 Australia: Yengi rescues point for visitors with stoppage-time equaliser

    Kusini Yengi was the hero for Australia after scoring in the first minute and the 97th to help salvage a 2-2 draw away to Bahrain in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

    The result extended manager Tony Popovic's unbeaten start with the Socceroos to four matches, although three of those have been draws.

    Things got off to a great start for the visitors, going a goal up inside 40 seconds after Portsmouth forward Kusini Yengi nipped in to intercept an underhit back pass from Sayid Mahdi Baqer and find the net.

    Yengi had the next moment of note after hitting the post on 61 minutes from a Riley McGree cross, before a poor touch let him down when well-placed three minutes later.

    Australia were made to pay for not killing the game, when Mahdi Abduljabbar lobbed Mat Ryan from 45 yards to get Bahrain level in the 75th minute. It went from bad to worse two minutes later, when Abduljabbar got his second following a defensive mix-up between Ryan and Hayden Matthews.

    But Yengi rescued his side deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to bury a ricocheting ball in the six-yard box. The result was Australia's fourth draw in six matches and leaves them second in Group C on seven points, with teams from third to sixth – including fifth-placed Bahrain – all on six.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.