Burnley vs Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp would be an 'idiot' to make panic buys

Burnley 2 Liverpool 0: Six days earlier, the German had been critical of a defensive unit which conceded three times in the 4-3 victory at Arsenal

Jurgen Klopp can barely watch at Turf Moor (Getty)

Jurgen Klopp launched a more impressive defensive effort than his team had managed in the preceding 90 minutes of a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Burnley but the Liverpool manager’s claims that his forward line was to blame for a lacklustre reverse was unconvincing.

Six days earlier, the German had been critical of a defensive unit which conceded three times in the 4-3 victory at Arsenal and, if anything, here was an even worse effort.

Despite boasting an astonishing 81 per cent possession during the game, Liverpool failed to force home keeper Tom Heaton into a noteworthy save but, of far more concern, on the odd occasion that Burnley crossed the halfway line, they looked perfectly capable of scoring.

Andre Gray, who netted the second after laying on the first goal for Sam Dyche, later confessed he should have scored a hat-trick although Klopp, keen to deflect from a woeful defensive showing, perversely tried to blame his forwards for the defensive woes.

“It is not a defending problem it is an offensive problem,” said Klopp, testily. “We lose the ball at the wrong moment and they go (clicks fingers).

“We should be ready in our development and these mistakes shouldn’t happen any more, but our training drills did not include us playing the ball at the wrong time to the opponent. We put ourselves under pressure.

“I was really angry around the first goal because it was unnecessary but I was not angry at half-time. If being angry makes sense, I can be angry with you in a moment, especially when they are rubbish questions.

“If I feel I have to put the finger on the spot I can do it. They know it already. It is not the pass we want to play, when angriness helps, I am angry.”

At least the day did not represent a complete loss for Klopp who saw Christian Benteke complete a transfer to Crystal Palace which could eventually be worth £32 million to his club. Not that the manager would confirm whether or not he will invest in further players before the end of the window - defenders or otherwise.

Vokes celebrates opening the scoring at Turf Moor (Getty)

“If one game should change my mind then I would be a real idiot,” he said. “The answer is I don’t know we will see.”

It was a mixed day, also, for Gray would found himself embroiled in controversy, and issuing a public apology, for homophobic comments he had made on twitter four years ago.

Earlier, he had left Turf Moor in far happier mood, clutching a shirt he had taken from Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge, an indication of the former Brentford man’s delight in playing at such an exalted level.

“Yeah, it’s been a big day,” he said. “He’s someone I’ve watched at this level for a few years and it’s still a bit surreal to be playing against guys like that week in week out.

“In terms of self-confidence I’m never too high and never too low. I try to keep a level head – I know how it works, one day you can be the best player in the world, and the next you can be the worst, so I just take the good with the bad.

“I enjoyed the goal, but I think if this had been a Championship game I might have expected to come away with a hat-trick.

“I’ve just got to believe in myself. There were a couple of times today when I probably tried to take an extra touch instead of carrying on driving, but it’s part of the learning curve.”