Klopp must contain frustration to keep Liverpool in Premier League title fight

Liverpool were stunned by a weakened Leicester City side on Tuesday, as Ademola Lookman's goal was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Brendan Rodgers' side at the King Power Stadium. And this time, Jurgen Klopp could have no complaints.

It was the first time all season that Liverpool failed to score a single goal across all competitions, as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all missing glorious chances.

Klopp is never one to shy away from letting his feelings known, but the German has become particularly frustrated over the course of festive period.

And it appears that Klopp's negativity has been transmitted onto his squad, who lacked the cutting edge that has been associated with the Reds in recent years on Tuesday evening.

Klopp has never been a fan of the English tradition that sees the festive period littered with Premier League fixtures, and a recent Covid surge hasn't helped things as squads are once again stretched during a vital run of games.

Club captain Jordan Henderson echoed his manager's views, raising concerns about a lack of protection of player welfare due to the demand of games in such a brief period.

Now, it seems as though the issues within the club are affecting matters on the field.

Liverpool were in an excellent rhythm until their controversial 2-2 draw with Tottenham sent Klopp into a sea of rage. Despite a stunning comeback against Leicester in the Carabao Cup to win on penalties, they were uncharacteristically lethargic on Tuesday only six days later.

Klopp originally complained about playing Leicester just two days after their scheduled Boxing Day clash against Leeds, but the match was postponed due to a Covid outbreak within the Yorkshire outfit's training camp.

This ironically gave Klopp the break he was looking for, and prior to the defeat against Leicester, he said: "I said before the situation should not be like this and we can discuss about that every year and all these kind of things.

"I know, so many people think it's tradition [and] we wanted to play on Boxing Day, we could have played on Boxing Day, no problem at all [but] it was because of Leeds and the situation there, so we accept that.

"Then playing then 26th and 28th is just not right and I just say that because it's true."

Although Klopp got the unlikely break he was hoping for, Liverpool were underwhelming and the German's comments slamming the schedule may even be filtering into the dressing room. With such a fuss being made about welfare, fitness and injuries, the players are suffering as a result.

The usually razor-sharp Salah missed his first penalty in 16 attempts during the first half, but he wasn't the only member of the Liverpool squad not at the races. It was clear to see that this was not Liverpool at their devastating best, and doubts could be raised about whether every player was giving 100 per cent.

Of course, Klopp isn't the only Premier League manager to wear his heart on his sleeve and say what is on his mind it how it is, but it's clear to see that his recent negativity is having an impact on the pitch.

If Liverpool are to keep chase with Manchester City, he must rein it in for the good of his team.

Liverpool are now six points behind City, and given how competitive the league is this year, that is already looking like a difficult gap to close. After a difficult period, Klopp must now reinforce a positive mindset to keep his Reds fighting.

The defeat to Leicester was only their second defeat of the season, and although it's not ideal with City's recent dominance, it's certainly far from over in the title race.

With a must-win clash against Chelsea coming up on January 2, and with Salah and Mane heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations, keeping a clear and focused mind is as important as ever in the month of January.