Klopp defends Moreno after defender is mocked

Jurgen Klopp was bemused when asked about Alberto Moreno’s erratic performance in Liverpool’s win over Arsenal.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has defended Alberto Moreno in the wake of recent criticism and feels the reaction to the Spaniard’s performance in the 4-3 win over Arsenal has been exaggerated.

Moreno conceded a penalty – which was subsequently missed – after bringing down Theo Walcott, before he was caught out of position for the England international’s goal a minute later.

The 24-year-old was heavily criticised for his performance, with some even suggesting Liverpool have little chance of qualifying for the Champions League with Moreno on the pitch, but Klopp refuses to point the finger at the former Sevilla man.

“If someone doesn’t perform too well we talk about it in a press conference? That’s cool,” Klopp said at a news conference when asked about Moreno’s display.

“I am not interested in criticism. Alberto played for a reason. Is the world not satisfied with our left-back?

“He was involved in a penalty situation and that’s something we spoke about. We’ve spoken about it. In my opinion, we could have avoided this situation and yes Alberto could have done better, that’s right. But I don’t understand what we are talking about.

“We are talking about Moreno because he didn’t defend so well against Arsenal? I don’t understand the conversation, maybe I should read more newspapers…”

Moreno is the only genuine left-back in Liverpool’s squad, but Klopp has stressed they will only bring in another option if they find the right player.

“We have to make decisions and in this case, we say ok, the most comfortable situation is that you have three players for each position,” he added.

“If we had found the perfect fit for all the things around – it’s not about money, but about playing style, technical skills – then we would have made a transfer.

“We do have a number of players in our squad who can play as a left-back but we are not blind. We know that if Alberto is injured we do not have a clear-left back, but we have other options. [James] Milner can play and [Nathaniel] Clyne played there before.

“We will only take another one if it’s the guy we want. The problem with transfers is no-one cares about players still here…”