Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool manager, insists he’s expecting a proper fight from Rangers in the Champions League at Anfield.
Klopp admits they have been poor defensively, not least in their group opener when they were thrashed 4-1 in Italy by Napoli who then won 3-0 at Ibrox to top the group after Rangers were mauled 4-0 in Amsterdam by Ajax.
Speaking before the game with Rangers in Champions League, he said: “Rangers are doing extremely well in general. We expect they will really fight for a result. Rangers are a good football team and they are well coached. They had an exceptional season in Europe last season. That’s what we have to prepare for. We expect a proper fight, a real fight.”
“We are conceding similar goals. We have a brave way of defending, but when the timing isn’t there the spaces open up. We closed the gaps before with intensity, but if you don’t do that, teams exploit it. We have to be more compact. Defending is an art, and it worked for us really well for a long time. But with it not working, you realise how much you have to go back to the basics.”
The Anfield boss also says Scottish football is a good place to go shopping again, having raided Aberdeen last summer. He added: “Scottish football has increased a lot. The Scotland team is full of talent. We have Calvin Ramsey here. He’s only 18 and is a big talent. That’s a good sign for Scottish football.”