Jurgen Klopp has slammed claims that Liverpool’s midfield is its weakest link.
A midweek defeat to Paris Saint-Germain became the Reds’ third successive away reversal in the Champions League and left progress to the knock-out stages far from certain.
Midfielders Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner came in for criticism of last season’s finalists in their setback at the Parc des Princes.
But Klopp, whose side take on Everton this weekend, responded pointedly to suggestions that a lack of creativity in midfield is a genuine cause for concern.
He said: “It was not a brilliant game but it was a big fight and we lost – and after that you ask me about being creative in midfield?
“To be honest, for me it is quite strange. When everything is brilliant and we score goals you always ask about defending and how can we fix that?
“We fixed that, kind of, and it always happens that the first step is it costs you a bit of fluency and creativity. That is a completely normal thing.
“If someone would think about it they would see it is clear, it is logical. Now, when we fix that, I can’t say in the first moment to the boys, ‘that’s not enough offensively’.
“That would be crazy. We still have to develop, that’s what we do. Bringing one player in would change everything? That is bulls*** and you know that.”