Neil Jones

'Even Ronaldo and Messi lose confidence' - Liverpool boss Klopp defends under-pressure players ahead of Rangers clash

Jurgen Klopp has backed his under-pressure Liverpool players to regain confidence after their slow start to the season.

Reds have won just three of nine games
Klopp admits confidence is low among his squad
Ronaldo & Messi referenced in rallying cry

WHAT HAPPENED? Speaking at a press conference ahead of his side's Champions League clash with Rangers, the Reds boss used Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as examples of how even the best players can suffer from a crisis of confidence.

WHAT THEY SAID: Klopp told reporters: “People can ask 'how can it happen that these players are not full of confidence?' But do you think Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment is at the top of his confidence levels? And he was for ages the best player in the world. Now it’s not going his way, and it is not exactly the same. It happens to all of us. Lionel Messi played last year last season where it was not exactly the same.

"You have to work for it, you have to take the little things to make a step in the right direction and be ready for the moment when it’s back. In an individual sport you can fight yourself through it, but in a team sport you have to do it together and that makes it more complicated."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Liverpool missed the chance to get their season going against Brighton on Saturday, fighting back from two goals down to lead 3-2 before conceding a late equaliser at Anfield. But they know a win over Rangers on Tuesday would put them in a strong position to qualify from Champions League Group A, with the return fixture to come at Ibrox next week.

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