Jurgen Klopp will need to lift Liverpool players after “harsh words” following Spurs defeat

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes manager Jurgen Klopp must build the players back up after a torrid weekend result.

The Reds’ humbling at Wembley left plenty in no doubt that Klopp would have read his squad the riot act, but now it’s time to look forward and seek out improvements.

To that end, the boss has to begin the week by rebuilding morale and setting the players back on the right path, and Lawrenson is thankful that’s one of the manager’s strengths.

“I think the first thing is that he’s probably going to have to lift them,” Lawrenson told LiverpoolFC.com.

“We saw in the press conference after Tottenham that it’s back to the old chestnut of defending, so he’ll have been working on that.

“But he’s going to have to lift his players. I would imagine he said his harsh words at the weekend and it’s probably for him a case of building the players back up.

“I think Klopp’s brilliant at that, I really, seriously, do.

“He’s the players’ friend but not their best friend, and that means you absolutely, totally respect him as a manager, but you can have a laugh and a joke with him at the right times. I think nowadays that’s the way you get the best out of your players.

“The important thing is that everybody’s in it together. The lads who made individual mistakes, collective mistakes, whatever, everybody is in it together and that’s the way it’s got to be.”

While helping the squad on the training pitch is one thing, the most important moment will come at the weekend when the Reds resume matters in the Premier League.

Huddersfield Town await, with their manager David Wagner the best friend of Klopp and with the team impressing in their first campaign in the top flight.

While Liverpool lost at Spurs, the Terriers saw off Manchester United, winning 2-1 to move up to 11th, one point behind the Reds, and Lawrenson is in no doubt that another tough game lies ahead.

“I saw them at the weekend against United and they pressed them and I think they’ll do the same at Anfield.

“They took their chances and then hung on and I think because it’s Wagner versus Klopp, his players will know that he’ll want to get a really good result because it’s his mate, because it’s Anfield and it’s on the back of [the win over] Manchester United.

“I think they’ll be a little bit like Burnley. Maybe not quite as physical, maybe not quite as strong, but they’ll approach the game like that.

“It’ll be interesting and we will have to be at our best to beat Huddersfield, there’s no doubt about it.”