Former Liverpool defender Steve Staunton is afraid that the Reds are making basic defensive errors to hand out chances to opposition teams and has bemoaned Ragnar Klavan's display in the side's 1-1 draw against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool dominated proceedings at Anfield in their 1-1 draw against Burnley, but the defence again looked shaky and some last ditch defending saved the home side’s blushes in the second half.
During a sequence of play after the break, Burnley defender Ben Mee found himself getting a free header at the back post from two consecutive Robbie Brady corners and it required a goal line clearance from Joel Matip and a save from Simon Mignolet to keep the Clarets from taking a lead in the game.
Klavan again looked uncertain at the back and Staunton admits some of the defensive errors can’t be laid at Jurgen Klopp’s door as defenders are making basic mistakes.
He pointed out that Klavan allowed Mee to get free inside the penalty box on both instances and those were basic defensive mistakes, with the Estonian needing to be aware of the danger.
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Staunton said on LFC TV: “It doesn’t matter who plays in the back four. Most of the problems have come from corners today.
“There were two corners and you've got a centre half that's six foot four and the other is six foot three and they don't attack the ball.
“Ben Mee just walked off Klavan twice, the same position.
“The first time it happens you get away with it, but when the second comes in just seconds later, you've got to be aware what's going on.
“That’s out of the manager's hands.
“Those two corners, it's simple, pure basic defending.”
Klopp wanted to sign Virgil van Dijk in the summer, but once Southampton made it clear that they would not be selling their star defender, the Liverpool boss didn’t go after a back up target.
The German has kept on denying that there are problems in his defence and has insisted that quality wise there are very few defenders in world football who could improve his backline.
