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Jurgen Klopp: 'I could write a book on how to defend'

Jurgen Klopp jokes that he could write a book on how to defend as he responds to his critics, having seen Liverpool concede 11 league goals already this season.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confessed that he has found his side's defensive struggles since taking charge "really hard" to deal with.

The Reds have already slipped up in games against Watford, Burnley and Sevilla so far this season, while also shipping five away to Manchester City earlier this month.

Liverpool came close to throwing away victory in Saturday's league encounter with Leicester City, a match in which they conceded from yet another set piece, but Simon Mignolet's penalty save ensured that they came away from the King Power Stadium with a 3-2 win.

Klopp admits that an improvement is required at the back, however, after his side shipped 11 goals in their first six top-flight outings.

"It's obvious we concede too much – there's no doubt," he told reporters. "That's really hard for me. Usually, I'm a really good defensive coach but obviously that works not too good so far, but we will be fine. The main thing for defending is tactical discipline.

"I don't know everything about football but I could write a book in the next two hours about which space we have to defend, why, when and where you have to be. When you have to step up, push up... all that stuff. I can't take a car and drive them out of the box. That's how it is.

"As long as not every player is doing it we'll work on it. When everyone is doing it, I will make sure we're doing it for the rest of our lives. I have faith, not only [in our] offensive [players] but in our squad. I know we need results. I like this team. Maybe nobody else likes it, I really like it and I want to improve it together."

Only Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Leicester have conceded more Premier League goals than Liverpool so far this season.

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Liverpool FC goalkeeper Simon Mignolet before the Europa League game between FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Liverpool FC at Matmut Atlantique Stadium on September 17, 2015 in Bordeaux, France.
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


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