Jurgen Klopp is refusing to throw the towel in on Liverpool's Premier League title hopes but admits he needs a crisis from both Manchester City and Arsenal
the Reds boss has warned that a huge improvement is needed to secure Champions League football next season
Liverpool wilted at the home of their local rivals, losing thanks to goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It was Klopp's first-ever defeat at Goodison Park
while he is not conceding defeat just yet, he also accepted his team need a major improvement if they are to even secure their pre-season target of qualifying for the Champions League
Klopp
"I understand it, it's part of the business but I don't know why I have to answer this question [about the title race], you can read the table,"
"I can't say now that we are still fully in it, we need a crisis at Man City and Arsenal and need to win football games because if they start losing all their games and we do what we did tonight nothing changes.
“We are not safe in the Champions League (qualification) as well so we should just play better football.
“That would be really [good]. You can see we are in a rush in front of goal.
"It's long ago now but I blame the Manchester United game a little when you play really well, with all those chances and don’t get anything for it. And that is really bad.
“Since then we create but don’t score often enough. That doesn’t help."
Klopp added:
"You cannot act like you scored 15 goals in the last two games or whatever. You can see that. That is the problem but you have to fight through these periods.
“It was never different. People ask about the mentality but mentality has different aspects. It is not a problem of attitude or what the boys want. No-one is doing that on purpose.
“It is my job to bring them into a situation where they feel confident to do that.
“That part I am responsible and I am responsible for what happened tonight. It is not that I feel great, that is the most tricky part of football obviously.
“In the moment it didn’t work out and we have to keep trying."