Swansea vs Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp reveals Reds received hairdryer treatment at half time

Swansea 1 Liverpool 2: The Reds were behind at half time after Leroy Fer's goal

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The Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, admitted that he hit the proverbial roof of the visitors’ dressing room at the Liberty Stadium to invigorate his team mid-way through their 2-1 win over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

Klopp lost his temper as his team were faced with the prospect of losing for only the second time this season against lowly opponents stalked by relegation fears yet clearly not unsettled by uncertainty over manager Francesco Guidolin’s future.

Klopp, who said England midfielder Adam Lallana and Serbia defender Dejan Lovren would be unable to play in upcoming international duties due to groin injury, vented his spleen before James Milner’s late penalty secured a win that means Liverpool are just two points behind pacesetters Manchester City.

“I was very angry,” Klopp told reporters at his post-match press conference.

“It looked like we were here to be a football game but I wanted them to show we are here because we want to win a football game.

“But we had to cool down as well. We were losing patience. There were too many harsh fouls and small things, moaning about decisions even though the decisions were absolutely correct. You need to stop this.

“Swansea did well but we were really too static. There was no movement. We were never compact enough for counter-pressing situations.

“After the goal it didn’t immediately become better but it did eventually and then when we let the ball roll and movement we had our moments and it give us important information for the second half which was better.”

Klopp was facing a shock defeat when Leroy Fer punished ponderous defending to put struggling Swansea ahead in the eighth minute, stabbing in from close range while Borja Baston wasted two good chances.

Roberto Firmino made Borja rue his wastefulness when he nodded in an equalised in the 54th before winning the penalty which allowed Milner to successfully convert his fourth spot-kick this season.

“I am 49 years old and I have lost a lot of games and unfortunately will lose a lot more but today made no sense,” Klopp said.

“It was not a day when we should have lost because we could have done so much better in the first half.

“We were all angry at half-time but at ourselves, so I told them we had to show we are better and show why we were here.

He added: “It is not allowed that we accept having a bad day. Even on a bad day we have to fight and strike back.

“I can not change a lot in the game but only at half-time when the players have open ears and they have which is good.

“It is always very important that even when it is not a brilliant performance that you are still able to win.

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“I have enough fingers to count the brilliant games in the season. That’s how it is. Ten is a big number and we’ve already had a few. That’s why the reaction in the second half was so important.

“I didn’t think this would be a game where we would be that bad because there was no sign in training that we should be this bad. That shows we are still learning.”

Klopp said Lallana and Lovren would miss their countries’ forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with groin injuries.

“Dejan went off in the last moments of the game but hopefully it is nothing too serious and Adam felt it and tried again before he came off in the first half,” Klopp said.

“At this moment they have no chance for their nationals teams. Hopefully I have 15 or 16 days to get them back on the pitch again for the next game. It was wet here but there was no sign that things like this might happen during the middle of the week. It is not too nice.”

Speculation is rife that Swansea’s American owners are ready to replace Guidolin with either Bob Bradley or Ryan Giggs but the Italian played down the uncertainty over his future.

“I am not worried about my future but I am worried about our position in the table,” Guidolin said. “That is all the concerns me.

“I am very disappointed for the team. We have played against very strong teams in this period, but I am confident because I saw my team play for 95 minutes with character and also with quality in the first half.

“If we play this way, I think we can turn our situation around soon. My team is a good team. I am sure we have the qualities to have a good future.”