Klopp offers comfort to Lovren, Mignolet after Spurs defeat

26 October 2017: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has called on his players to react after their 4-1 humiliation by Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, and told under-fire keeper Simon Mignolet and centre back Dejan Lovren that he would never let them down.

Klopp refused to say if either player would start against Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday, but urged them not to pay too much attention to public criticism.

Lovren was substituted 31 minutes into the first half against Spurs, triggering a barrage of criticism of both player and manager, but Klopp advised his players to turn a blind eye to the opinions of outsiders.

"That's the world out there," the German said in an interview for the BBC's Football Focus. "If we found somebody who makes a mistake then we go on him. When we make a mistake ourselves then we don't want that anybody realises it.

"Of course, I never would let them down. Never would that happen. I hope they're smart enough not to read it (criticism) because it's very important," he added.

"I'm 50 so I'm clear in my mind, but I don't read it. Because it makes no sense why I should read that somebody says I have no clue about football.

"For the boys it would be good if they would do the same. But on the other side it's not the biggest problem in the world. We made mistakes in that game and if people then say 'Yes, you made a mistake', we knew already before."

Klopp said Liverpool needed to change something following the damaging defeat at Wembley that left them ninth in the table and 12 points behind leaders Manchester City nine matches into the season.

"It's only about reacting," he said. "It's always about reaction. If you don't feel well, you have to change the situation. And that's what we have to do."