Jürgen Klopp: It was exciting until the end, but we deserved it
Jürgen Klopp expressed his pleasure after seeing his Liverpool side produce a dominant performance to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Anfield this evening.
First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho put the Reds in command, before Gareth McAuley pulled one back for the visitors against the run of play with nine minutes remaining.
But Klopp's team held on to secure a win that moves them up to second in the Premier League, behind Arsenal on goal difference.
Read on for a full transcript from the boss' post-match press conference...
On whether it should have been more comfortable for Liverpool…
In dreamland then you always win four or five-nil and then the crowd can go a little earlier and do something a more serious. This game tonight created one of the best atmosphere we’ve had because it was exciting until the end, with the chances we created and with the chances we didn’t use. Actually, in this moment it feels better that we only won 2-1 than three or four-nil, which would have been possible - but all good.
LFCTV GO: Klopp's post-match press conference
On whether he has any defensive concerns for his side…
No. Obviously not having a clean sheet is part of our game, I don’t know! It’s not a big problem. I think defending, first of all, is not to let them [the opposition] create a lot of chances and I cannot remember a lot of chances in the last few games. All of them were under pressure with a lucky cross or something or a set-piece. It’s part of the game, I know this and we are improving in this. The goal we conceded was kind of lucky: there were seven players… the ball was brilliant, it was not too hard, not too soft… they were fighting for the ball… [defenders] falling down… they were quicker in mind and scored the goal. They were one time quicker in mind in the game than we were and scored a goal from it - that’s how football is. If they had scored a second one, I have to accept it - but that wouldn’t have changed my opinion of the game because playing football like this is not usual. Staying patient, being lively, staying concentrated, being aggressive without making fouls because each free-kick is a real threat, even when it is in their half. It was a real challenge for my team and they did brilliant.
On being second in the table...
We have 20 points. It was not possible that we get more tonight so that’s OK. For me, it is really difficult to be kind of satisfied or something with football games, but a 2-1 keeps you more awake than a 4-0, that’s how it is. In this moment we are maybe not experienced enough in a situation like this to feel that it could be easy or whatever. But it’s not easy, it’s so difficult, all these teams, all these games, it’s unbelievable. You need luck, you need all the players fit and all that stuff. I have absolutely no problem with the goal we conceded tonight, in general I would like that nobody could score against us, but the first thing we have to do is not let them create chances - that’s in the moment difficult against us because we defend as a team quite good. Set-pieces, we have already improved and we will work on it.
On what will be decisive in the title race and 'strange' results in the league this season…
What will be decisive? I’m not long enough in this league but I haven’t seen a lot of strange results until now. We lost at Burnley, Everton lost at Burnley. We didn’t play until now against Middlesbrough [who drew 0-0 at Arsenal today], but I saw a little bit of the stats and they had quite a lot of chances with not a lot of possession so that means they are obviously good in counter-attacks so it’s a good warning. Until now, I haven’t seen a weak team in the Premier League so that means we have to work for it. Other teams have had problems and we will have problems, but our job is to find solutions.
On whether Steven Gerrard could one day return to LFC...
Steven Gerrard is always so welcome at Liverpool FC - you can’t imagine how welcome! But everything that we have already talked about or will speak about stays in this situation. That’s how I know Stevie and that’s how I am. But nobody should worry that there’s no space for Steven Gerrard. Everything will be fine, 100 per cent.