Klopp says Napoli's “horror show” was Liverpool’s “worst game”

Jurgen Klopp

thinks

’s 4-1 Champions League loss at the hands of

was their worst since he started his reign in 2015.

The Reds were thrashed by Napoli in Group A and it was the heaviest defeat they have ever faced in their first game of the Champions League season.

Before their battle against

, Jurgen Klopp did not hold back from saying that the game was a “horror show”.

Following the postponement of the Premier League games following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Liverpool manager said he would rather feature this weekend but he “respects” the decision.

"Yes, we would have wanted to play,"

he said.

"But for the reasons we all know it didn't happen and, of course, we respect that.

"Now we try to use the time for analysis and training, which made absolute sense after the game we played at Napoli.

"I have lots of thoughts [on the Napoli game]. I watched the game back plenty of times and it was a real horror show, to be honest.

"It was the worst game we played since I'm here. We've had a few bad games, I know that. Everyone remembers Aston Villa [7-2 loss in 2020-21] and some others where we were just not up to speed, but there were always glimpses in these games. In this particular game, [there was] nothing.

"You have to understand why that happens, it's not a common thing, that's more an individual thing. Eight out of 11 [players] were absolutely below their level, three others were not on top level, just [played] a normal game.

"In football it's like this, you sort all individual problems as a team, and that's the first thing we have to do, to follow a common idea again.

"Everything we did since I'm here and everything teams do in football is based on really solid, if not perfect, defending. That's what we had to work on, and that's what we did."

Liverpool did not get off on the right foot in the Premier League this season, with three draws and losing one of their six games.

"I know that the players want to sort the situation, we are not over the moon about our season so far,"

he added. 

"In the end we all agreed that we could have conceded more goals in [the Napoli] game. We could have scored one or two more as well, but we could have conceded more, which is really crazy.

"We had absolute truth - didn't hide anything, we didn't hold back anything, there was no need for that... but not to knock the players down, just to make sure where we are now after this game, this is the starting point for us and now we have to make sure we sort the problems together on the pitch." 

Klopp also announced that Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will not come back until October due to their injuries, notwithstanding receiving a call for the international break.

"No, I don't expect [Keita] to go on international duty,"

he said.

"The return date is sometime in October, that's why we had to make the decision, with Ox it's the same, and that's why the two boys are not in the Champions League squad."

Klopp will also not have the services of Andrew Robertson for the Ajax clash as he sustained an injury in the battle against Napoli.

"Robbo is not 100 per cent,"

he said.

 "Very late, 93rd minute, he actually felt it the next day only, but he's out. I would say at least until after the international break."

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