Too early to write off Liverpool, insists Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has rejected suggestions his current team has reached the end of its useful lifespan and insists judgement should be reserved until the end of the season.

Back-to-back defeats against the Premier League's bottom two clubs in Nottingham Forest and Leeds have left his side closer to the relegation zone than the top four in terms of points.

Liverpool have already lost four times in the league and have taken just two points from matches against Forest, Leeds, Everton, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brighton.

The current starting XI has one of the oldest average ages in the Premier League, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Thiago Alcantara all the wrong side of 30.

But Klopp insists it is too early to write off his side.

"I think the judgement for this should come later on in the season, or maybe at the end," he said ahead of the Champions League visit of Napoli.

"If you say, 'that's it', for this group of players or for this manager I don't think that's 100% fair in this moment, to judge the team or the squad, because we never had them available.

"We miss players, especially now up front, we miss top quality which is not helpful.

"Even if it's unfair, it's fine. It's normal, it's our life and it's absolutely fair to ask these questions. But we have to answer that later on."

Klopp said Leeds' late winner on Saturday which inflicted their first Premier League defeat at Anfield in front of fans since April 2017 had him waking up at night.

However, he insists he is able to handle the pressure of his most frustrating spell at the club and dismissed suggestions - not for the first time this season - he has lost his spark.

"I didn't read anything but everything will be judged on