Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp not concerned despite failure to turn domination into goals at Southampton

Klopp saw his side frustrated by a Southampton side happy to put players behind the ball in an effort to halt Liverpool's free-flowing attack

Jurgen Klopp reacts to a missed chance during Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Southampton (Getty)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was surprised to learn that his team had enjoyed 65 per cent of the possession in Saturday's goalless draw at St Mary's, which most people would consider impressive for an away side. “It felt absolutely more,” he said. “My feeling was 70-something. But we have no problem with this, that's how it is.”

Klopp is relaxed about the probability that more teams will emulate the example of Southampton, who approached the visit of his Premier League leaders and top scorers as if they were playing on Merseyside, with most of their team behind the ball for most of the 94 minutes. After Jose Mourinho sent Manchester United out at Anfield last month to frustrate rather than try to win, this was one more backhanded compliment to the team the German has built.

He can understand why even clubs with European ambitions, such as Southampton, are wary of the attacking forces at his disposal. Although without the injured Adam Lallana, he was still able to field Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and former Saint Sadio Mane, with Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi coming off the bench. Despite Southampton's approach, Klopp's men prised apart the red-and-white wall on enough occasions to have won comfortably, and he was happy with the performance and “not over the moon but completely fine” with the result.

“We watched them in other games and they were more offensive but it's not about them having respect [for us] or something,” the German said. “Everybody wants to win. If we play this kind of football then it would be crazy to give us space, so why should they do so? That's what we have to work on and it's our job to do it.

“There is nothing to moan about. You can’t ask them: 'Come on, give us a little more space' or something. Before the season we had to work on this and until now that is what I meant when I say we are happy with the performance. Because again we did well, we came through. It isn’t a game where you have 20 chances, we had four or five. That is more than enough especially how big those chances were.

“We weren't that good against United. If we had played like today against them, it's not that we could have won, but we would have had more chances. A lot of teams played against us like this and we won. We cannot change what they do. We are sure to be stopped sometimes unfortunately but the only thing we have to make sure is that it's not because of us. Even when it doesn't work, stay in the game, don't let them attack.”

That part of the game plan certainly worked, with Southampton prevented from mustering a single effort on target. And it worked further forward, but only up to a point. Firmino, Coutinho and Nathaniel Clyne, another St Mary's old boy, all missed good second-half chances to secure the victory that would have ensured Liverpool remained on top of the table this morning regardless of Chelsea’s subsequent victory at Middlesbrough.