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| Roberto Firmino has scored just once for Liverpool all season |
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Roberto Firmino must get used to playing without his "mate" Philippe Coutinho, claims former Liverpool ace John Aldridge.
Firmino, 24, produced a poor display in the Reds' 2-0 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday.
Fellow Brazilian Coutinho was absent through injury, leaving Firmino struggling to link up with centre-forward Christian Benteke.
But Aldridge claims the former Hoffenheim star didn't work hard enough and relies too much on Coutinho's service.
“Roberto Firmino is playing as if something is wrong, mentally and physically. He’s been absolutely redundant the last two games after such a great display at Man City,” Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo.
“It can’t just be the fact his mate Coutinho has been missing.
“Christian Benteke played badly – he was stood outside the box when two good crosses came in, one from Moreno – but it was Firmino who made him look worse. Everything Benteke needed from him was absent in a horrible display.
“He needed him to be the link man but he wasn’t there. Benteke won his flick-ons but he was nowhere near him."
Liverpool's loss at Newcastle put a downer on talk that they are genuine title challengers this season.
The Reds have been in fine form in recent weeks, convincingly defeating Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton.
"We have only been working with (Klopp) a short time, barely two months, and we have already had some good results with him," Lovren told the official Liverpool FC magazine.
"With time it will be better. With his methods and his way of working, I don't see how it cannot be better.
"We will know him more and he will know us more and he will also have a better understanding of the league and the club.
"He knows the expectations at Liverpool. Everyone knows it is a tough job, but we are here to do that job."
Meanwhile, Manchester United should be worried about Klopp, claims former Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Klopp suffered only his second defeat since taking over at Liverpool at St James' Park.
The result halted Liverpool's charge up the Premier League table but they remain just six points off fourth-place United.
And Ferguson admits United's rivals have a manager in charge capable of bringing Champions League football back to Merseyside.
“I’m worried about him – the one thing United don’t want is to have Liverpool above us," Ferguson said at a TechCrunch event in London.
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| Sir Alex Ferguson's (right) Manchester United earned a number of famous wins at Anfield |
“He’s got a fantastic personality, he’s got that great confidence in himself. Even I noticed in yesterday’s game when they lost the second goal he went across to Steve McClaren and congratulated him – it’s class that, it’s class.
“He’s got a great personality, his big white teeth are always showing, he’s enjoying it. The work he did at Dortmund – I know him quite well actually from the coaching seminars we have, I got a text from him the other day actually.
“He’s going to make a difference at that club, absolutely no doubt about it. He’s got the personality, he’s got the drive, he’s got the knowledge, he’s got great presence about him, I think things will look up there, no doubt about it.”
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| Leicester's Ben Chilwell (left) has made three appearances on loan at Huddersfield |
In transfer news, Klopp is understood to have sent scouts to watch Leicester's Ben Chilwell while on loan at Huddersfield Town.
The Telegraph claim Chilwell has also been tracked by Arsenal but Klopp's friendship with Huddersfield manager David Wagner could help his efforts to sign the player.
Chilwell, 18, has made three appearances for the Terriers this season, having risen through the youth ranks at Leicester.
Arsenal reportedly had scouts at Huddersfield's 2-0 win over Birmingham on Saturday, in which defender Chilwell played 90 minutes.
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