Jurgen Klopp admitted that Liverpool’s dramatic fall was one of the worst spells in his managerial career after Mario Lemina criticized the winners to a horrific 1-0 loss against low-placed Fulham on Sunday.
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Klopp ‘s side are four points adrift of fourth – placed Chelsea, who can extend that lead to seven if they beat Everton on Monday.
That would leave Liverpool with hard work to qualify for the Champions League next season through a top-four finish.
They could still do it by winning the Champions League, but it ‘s hard to see glory in the European elite club competition as Liverpool’ s leg shrinks.
As a sign of how far they have fallen, even Fulham in third place easily played Liverpool to score three points at Anfield for the first time in nine years.
Without a home win from before Christmas, Liverpool are a blank silhouette of the team that made their first English title for 30 years last season.
They are plagued by horrible injury problems in defense, but it was still sad to see the toothless Reds surrender so embarrassingly again.
When asked if it was one of his worst times, Klopp said: “I’d like to say no but yes. That’s not a problem. I don’t always have the best times .
“This team is a great team. We were very successful and now we have a great situation too but we will fight through.”
Worried for Liverpool fans, Klopp has admitted he has no answers for catching the slide.
“We’ve never had a move in the season. You can see it’s still in the boys. They still have it all but at this point they can’t show it. It would be great to find out how ‘we will change that overnight,’ he said.
“My boys wanted it. It’s easy to say Fulham won it so I wanted it more. I don’t think that’s the problem.
“I don’t have to stand here and say we’re fighting for this or that.”
Klopp insists his stars will remain loyal even if Liverpool lose a place in the Champions League.
But on the evidence of their latest embarrassment, the Reds leader may have to make major changes to capture voters Manchester City the next term.
With one eye on defending their 2-0 lead in the Champions League on Wednesday 16 second leg against Leipzig, Klopp made seven changes and added a youth defense with Neco Williams, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips.
Unsurprisingly, Liverpool showed a lack of organization and coherence at the back, with Josh Maja slipping behind the two inexperienced defenders to carry his volley over the bar.
Fulham caused Liverpool’s moving defense all sorts of problems and Maja was close to the target from Ademola Lookman’s pass.
Diogo Jota made his first start since December after being injured and was led by Xherdan Shaqiri to replace Sadio Mane and the injured Roberto Firmino.
Shaqiri shook a free-kick just past, but Liverpool didn’t have a major attack and Fulham’s impressive display was rewarded at stoppage time in the first half.
When Andrew Robertson couldn’t get straight to the edge of the area, it was easy for Mohamed Salah to push off the ball with Lemina, who made a good finish into the farthest corner from Alisson Becker’s goal.
It was a sweet time for the Gabonese international after his unbeaten handball handed Maja’s equalizer against Tottenham outright in the middle of the week.
Salah’s half-hearted effort was hardly the answer Klopp was seeking after the Egyptian expressed his frustration when he was beaten against Chelsea on Thursday.
Jota’s solid volley from Neco Williams’ cross saved Alphonse Areola early in the second half.
Just after that opportunity, a plane flew over Anfield with the slogan “It is the strength of unity. Let ‘s go to the Reds. YNWA”.
While Mane came off the bench to tie a headband to the woodwork and Shaqiri went close with a curler, Liverpool rarely looked like that call to arms.