Klopp: Reds need time - not magic dust!
Jürgen Klopp has insisted his Liverpool squad need only time, rather than 'magic dust', to find their attacking verve again.
The Reds showed plenty of defensive grit as they held Tottenham Hotspur to a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane on Saturday in the German's first game in charge.
All that was lacking, however, was the final touch of quality required to find a breakthrough and secure all three points.
But Klopp is not one bit worried by his team's failure to breach the hosts' backline in the capital.
"I should teach them technical aspects? They know," he said. "We have to altogether help them to show it.
"This is not the biggest problem in life. We don’t have to sprinkle magical dust on them ‘and now you can play football.’ They know how to play.
"We just have to create a situation where it is possible to do this. Pressure yes, but it is not the biggest pressure, these guys are running for their life.
"There is nothing to worry and say, ‘Come on, try again’. Everything is okay.
"We have some very good players on the bench, or on the [treatment] table at home, and we need these players of course, 18 games until December.
"But we have young players and in situations like this you learn more about them than usual. They are all with us today.
"It is a chance for all Liverpool players in this moment."
The 48-year-old's certainty regarding the Reds' attacking promise is a result of an unshakeable belief that his players can improve on their weekend performances.
And he now hopes to see those stars find the confidence to play his 'wild' brand of football.
"I am not sure how many games you saw like this from Adam Lallana. What do you think? I know him from Southampton and he can do 20-30 per cent more," he enthused.
"Coutinho? Do you not think he can play better football than today? Of course, he can.
"Lucas? You don’t think he can play balls on the right and left side? He can.
"Emre Can? Learning between running and passing. He can learn.
"Milner? The complete football player, the perfect professional, a machine, everything is there.
"We start with this development and the most important thing is for the players to be prepared to be a little bit wild.
"You can run and then you can miss. No problem. Don’t worry. Come back again.
"That’s what I saw [on Saturday]. This part I am satisfied with but we can do better and will do better. It’s okay."
Klopp had just three days of training with his full squad prior to the trip to Spurs, with the international break disrupting preparations somewhat.
The manager says he saw plenty of encouraging signs in his first game, though, even if he refuses to draw comparisons to the exciting Borussia Dortmund side he coached prior to moving to Anfield.
"There is no time to compare," he continued. "It makes no sense. I’m not the voodoo of football and decide what is better. I don’t do this.
"It was intensive football but German football is intense too.
"There are good players here. I saw many good things in my team. There was pretty offensive defending and we tried to disturb at the right moment.
"Okay, the timing was not perfect but I saw situations with only five or six centimetres [and] we would have had the ball again. This is cool.
"But of course we should play better football. Not because I say but because we can. That’s the thing.
"When we have the ball the other team has to run. I saw things like this a thousand times."