Press conference'Always interesting' - Jürgen Klopp's Brentford preview

Liverpool return to Premier League duty by hosting the Bees and will be seeking to respond following a 1-1 draw at Luton Town and 3-2 Europa League defeat at Toulouse.

The Reds and Brentford claimed a home victory apiece when they met in the top flight last term, and Klopp has detailed what he expects this time around.

“Super-challenging to play Thomas Frank and Brentford, for different reasons. They do really well,” said the boss at his pre-match press conference.

“I’m not sure they are 100 per cent happy with the season, but losing Ivan Toney – that player he was for them – really is brutal. But they are stable in the table, that’s probably what Brentford want – getting through this situation and then when he is coming back, using him again or whatever.

“It’s well organised; had a few problems in the season, I would say, to get used to the game without Ivan but when you look at the table they are in the middle with a tendency [of] going up.

“It’s well organised, sensational set-pieces, all these kind of things. Really offensive players, really fast, counter-attacking really good. They change styles from time to time; if they consider you as a top-six team then it’s a bit more defensive, if not they have a bit more possession parts.

“It’s always interesting to play them and difficult as well. But it’s Anfield and we should use that.”

In his assessment of Liverpool’s draw at Kenilworth Road last weekend, Klopp cited the team’s counter-pressing on that evening as an area that needed improvement.

Asked about that topic again, he said: “We were there but we were not there. Counter-press is an impulse in the first moment and then the last step is the most important. If you are there you have to block the ball.

“We had situations where we were with three players against one but the one Luton player could get out. That just shows that the last per cent of conviction on that night was not there.

“I don’t know why it was not there, I can’t just say. It was not there. We will change that – definitely. That’s very important for the way we want to play.

“Besides that, I think when you watch it back there is one team who should have won the game, that’s us. We didn’t use our chances. Then you cannot win a game. When we concede a goal, you have to score at least one to get a point, and that’s exactly what happened.

“But there’s no bigger story behind it, it’s just a game. We were not at our best, definitely not, that night. It was a different game to most others we played – and now we have the chance to put it right again.”

The Reds will be without Alexis Mac Allister in midfield for the visit of Brentford as the Argentinian serves a one-match Premier League suspension.

Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones, meanwhile, were absent for the midweek trip to Toulouse due to respective knee and hamstring issues.

Klopp was quizzed on Wataru Endo’s adaptation to the team since his summer arrival and also if Trent Alexander-Arnold is a midfield option moving forward after he featured there against AFC Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.

“Wataru was for us all the time very important,” said the boss. “That’s again another part of football: you line up an XI, they play well and then you think the others don’t do well. That’s not true.

“Wataru makes steps every day and that’s important. We had stories like this in the past. This year it looks a little bit different, that players maybe fit in a bit quicker, but we had stories: Andy Robertson didn’t play for half a year, nobody can remember it anymore but it was like that.

“Other players as well had their struggles in the beginning. That’s all fine. He didn’t even struggle, we played pretty good, successful and he is super-important for us.

“He played a lot of games. If he plays all the games, you say, ‘He is not starting in the Premier League.’ It’s nothing to do with the Premier League or whatever, it’s a little bit rhythm. But he will definitely start games in the Premier League, 100 per cent.

“And now it’s just important that we get through this period until the international break and then after especially with as little injuries as possible, because the games are coming thick and fast, it’s crazy how many we have to play. We need them all and you will see them all.

“We are together for a while, we are much better used to each other than we were, things going in the right direction. We are not there yet, we are not as stable as I wish, but that’s normal as well. All fine.”

On Alexander-Arnold, he added: “Yeah, a possibility [to play in midfield], it depends on the situation, the opponent, on a lot of things. We know that he can play there.

“For us, if we just put him there then we lose one of the best right-backs in the world, so we should not forget that completely at least. Of course he is an option for that position.”

• Get free delivery on LFC Retail orders over £55 for a limited time only: Online store | LFC Store app