Klopp criticises team and thanks fans

Jürgen Klopp on the game in Berlin:

The first half was almost the exact opposite of how we wanted to play. We knew how Hertha would play, and also where they would go into the challenges, so we shouldn’t have played the ball into those spaces. But that’s what we did, before they scored and also shortly after when they had that great chance. We weren’t determined enough, didn’t get behind the last line and didn’t have attempts at goal. We enjoyed possession but couldn’t carve open any real chances. This was the wrong path.

…on what happened after the Hertha goal:

It increased the pressure even more. In a game where the opposition threw themselves all over the place with everything they had, it didn’t make things easier.

…on the tactical switch from 4-1-4-1 to 4-4-2 in the second half:

It took a while for the team to get used to it, but then we were able to create a couple of chances. We failed take them and lost the match.

… on the behaviour of the fans after the game:

Exceptional, absolutely exceptional. I thought for a moment that they wanted to tell us how unhappy they were with what had happened, which I can understand. We still waited to hear what they had to say, and then we received such a reaction. We need all the support we can get! We hear week after week that we are a great team, but this great team also has great problems. I can fully understand that the fans didn’t like what they saw in the first half.

… on the remaining games until the winter break:

Our mission is to dramatically improve our situation for the second half of the season. We are also counting on the atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park. If at some stage in the future we’ll be able to get out of this slump, the bond between all those involved will be even stronger than it already is. The fans have done nothing wrong, which I can’t really say about us.