---
title: "Klopp discusses Liverpool’s set-piece issues"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/klopp-discusses-liverpools-set-piece-issues/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Jack Bird"
section: "Articles"
published: "2016-01-26T16:55:11Z"
modified: "2016-01-26T23:31:06Z"
---

# Klopp discusses Liverpool’s set-piece issues

It’s rare that a match where Liverpool score five goals is followed with words like “farce”, “awful” and “shocking” being thrown at their own players. Conceding four against a team placed 17th in the Premier League will tend to eclipse most things, though.

A kryptonite to their Supermen, Liverpool’s inability to defend set-pieces has proven costly this season, with only Bournemouth and Swansea conceding more than their 13 from them. The season they almost won the league proved that you can score as many as you want, but if you’re conceding them just as often then it won’t mean a thing.

![Stephen Pond/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/readliverpoolfc/2016/01/506405878.jpg)

Speaking on the subject, Jurgen Klopp showed the sort of humility and honesty you want to see from a manager.

As reported by [the Telegraph](https://t.co/26du6muyNd), he said:

> We know about this problem. Sorry to say, it’s not a problem we can ignore.
>
> It’s obvious we didn’t do it too well but we are a football team and always work on our weaknesses. That is not too easy in this short period.
>
> We spoke about it intensively – had a good talk together. It wasn’t the first one but hopefully it was the last one.
>
> It’s not about formation or the quality of the set plays but what we are doing in these situations. We were defending the first ball well but struggling with the second or third. We are fully focused on the first situation but not after.
>
> It’s not too late to learn but I would say it is time to learn and to show we have learnt.
>
> We are not ignoring the problem. Most of the time we know how it works but we try to change it now.

Steven Caulker being brought in because of his ability in the air, as well as every other defender being injured, is another way that Klopp has tried to combat the Reds’ frailty from set pieces, although that is more a case of putting a plaster over a shotgun wound.

A change of goalkeeper and a genuine world-class centre-back might be a costly but effective way to fix things, however in the short term, they are merely fever dreams for Liverpool fans who are eager to see the issue be resolved.

![Clive Mason/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/readliverpoolfc/2016/01/503474788-2.jpg)

It doesn’t get much more short term than 19:45 on Tuesday night, and going into the second leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final against Stoke, Klopp’s fears of set=pieces may only get worse.

While the arrival of flashy players such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan Krcic and Ibrahim Afellay means the often lampooned Stoke tactics of old have developed into a much more attractive style, physical players such as Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters could provide a short cut to the back of Liverpool’s net if they play.

Injuries all over the pitch mean that nothing about Liverpool’s situation is ideal, but Klopp will have to make the best of his hand no matter what anyone else plays. A confident showing and a clean sheet would be the first step in defying the “*self-fulfilling prophecy*” that defending at set pieces has become.