Joey Barton slams "stubborn" Jurgen Klopp following Liverpool's recent defeats

Former Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has launched a rant against Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

The controversial footballer, who has been critical of the German coach in the past, has claimed that the Reds have no hope of winning silverware unless the system changes.

The Merseyside outfit tried to address their defensive frailties by bringing in Virgil van Dijk from Southampton earlier this month, but problems were still apparent in recent defeats to Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion.

"[Klopp] needs his head examining," Barton told talkSPORT. "He has got no Plan B. He is so stubborn that if Plan A doesn't work, he just continues with Plan A.

"For me, Van Dijk is a good player but if you had seen in him that defence on Saturday, he looked a shambles. You are guilty by association. You could put anyone in that back line [and they would struggle].

"Positionally they are in the wrong spot, attitude-wise they are in the wrong spot. Ten opposition shots on target and nine goals... this is an alleged elite level manager and elite level coach.

"When Liverpool go forward and get it right, they can be mesmerising at times. But they will not win anything while they are defending the way they are are. There were shambolic [against West Brom]. The loss of [Philippe] Coutinho and the defensive vulnerabilities are making teams think 'this Liverpool side is a myth'."

Ahead of Tuesday's match against Huddersfield Town, the Reds sit fourth in the Premier League table.