Jurgen Klopp: The talk of a Plan B 'shows a lack of understanding'

Klopp led his side to fourth last season in the Premier League despite a blip in January and February that nearly cost them that position.

The Liverpool boss explained in an interview with Goal how the build-up of matches, as well as the absences of key players, negatively impacted his team.

He further added his disappointment when critics said the team had no Plan B, saying that the team changes in intricate ways and it isn’t as black and white as having one plan or another.

“We had two major issues in January obviously: not enough confidence as we should have had in ourselves, and too many injuries plus Sadio [Mane] being away at the Africa Cup of Nations while the games didn’t seem to stop,” Klopp said.

“Then in February, we suffered from the intensity of the month before, and we were back in March. We won games again, but then people were saying, ‘it’s not the same football, they are struggling,’ and this again gave the players doubt.

“They listen to these voices, the whole club listens to these voices that go ‘oh, it’s again like this, they don’t have Plan B for deep-defending sides, they can only play one way.'

“We smashed teams at the start of last season by altering our style in different ways to play to our strengths and minimise the opposition’s like against West Brom at Anfield. We limited their set-piece situations, which we know they are really dangerous from.

“The talk of Plan B shows a lack of understanding. In the moment when you are not feeling confident, you cannot change too many things - that’s insecurity.

“It’s not about showing what you can do - like ‘hey, here is Plan D, F, Q!’ My job is not to prove that I can do 1000 different techniques or no-looking coaching or whatever, it is to do what is best for the players I have, with our skills, in the situation we are in.

“When I hear or read these things about us, I know I 100 per cent do not listen. But oh my god, everybody else listens, so we have to block that out and focus on us and our way.”

Klopp went on to add that he doesn’t want the players to listen to these critics as his should be the only voice they listen to.

The Reds boss used the example of Arjen Robben to demonstrate how great players trust themselves and don’t let others impact their game.

“This is very important. What we need to create is where they understand completely that the only criticism they need to take is mine - not because I’m the only one that knows anything, but because I’m the one they have to pay attention to,” he explains.

“I’m the one giving them the direction together with our backroom and support team. So it makes no sense to trust what people who are not involved in the process think.

“I will use the example of Arjen Robben. Whatever the world says about him, or thinks about him - he delivers.

“One time, he will miss the easy pass and everyone will moan ‘why did he shoot?’. Next time, he will not pass and shoot from that angle again - goal! - then it’s ‘oh, good idea to shoot from there’.

“He doesn’t care what the opinions from outside are, he knows how his team needs him to use his skills.

“The rule is that it is better that you have 11 players doing the same thing wrong, than every player doing what he wants.”