Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp urges caution over fans' demands in January transfer window

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will refrain from addressing his side's defensive frailties in the January transfer window due to the significant overhaul in strategy required to arrest their plight. Only Manchester City have conceded more goals in the Premier League's top-seven this season, with the 3-2 defeat to Swansea City highlighting the deep-rooted problems currently affecting the Reds.

Klopp's men trailed leaders Chelsea by 10 points and despite Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan and Joel Matip having been rotated this term, the German coach has been unable to fashion out a successful formula at the back. Goalkeepers Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius have also been rotated this term with neither stopper having convinced between the sticks.

Former Liverpool players Steven Gerrard and Jan Molby have urged Klopp to ramp up the club's interest in Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who has been linked with a £50m move to Manchester City according to the Daily Mail. But Klopp says solving his side's problems is not as simple as signing one player, otherwise he would already have done it.

"The final mistake is sometimes goalkeeper or defender, but most of the time it's seven or eight players," he told reporters, according to the Liverpool Echo. "It's not about one player. It's clear what we did wrong and we really have to do better. We made other mistakes than not scoring enough goals.

"We scored enough goals to win the games, I speak about the whole defensive work of the team, if it was that easy to buy one player then all the problems are solved. I would be silly not to do it! I knew about the problems we had after the Christmas period."

With Liverpool's hopes of capturing a first league title since 1990 looking distant, the focus now turns to the English Football League Cup where the Merseysiders must overturn a one-goal deficit against Southampton in the semi-final second-leg to progress to February's final at Wembley. Klopp's men will be able to call on captain Jordan Henderson for the tie at Anfield despite the England international continuing to suffer from a heel injury.

"It's similar (to last season) but different," the Liverpool boss added. "We don't train a lot between games. We know a bit more about it. Instead of running, he is on a bike. That is maybe the only difference. He always feels a little bit but he can cope with it."