Aldridge admits Liverpool season collapsing around Klopp

Liverpool hero John Aldridge says the team has collapsed under Jurgen Klopp in recent weeks.

The Reds dropped more points at West Ham in Saturday's 2-2 draw.

Aldridge wrote for the Sunday World: "Jurgen Klopp won't be getting his dream send-off as Liverpool manager and I'm sure he would change a few things if he had his time again.

"We were all shocked when Klopp announced back in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. In hindsight, that announcement has backfired.

"It all looked good in the weeks after the news of his exit broke as Liverpool went on a decent run. Everyone seemed galvanised by the idea of giving him the perfect send-off, and it looked like it might have a positive impact.

"When they won February's Carabao Cup final against Chelsea with a team loaded with kids, it felt like anything was possible in the final weeks of the season.

"In the end, it has all come crashing down, with Saturday's draw at West Ham and Wednesday's horrible defeat to Everton killing off their Premier League title hopes.

"To be honest, I felt the title challenge was over after they lost at home to Crystal Palace, but the Everton display and defeat ended all hope, and you start to look back and wonder if things could have been handled differently.

"For whatever reason, a lot of the players seem to have lost their focus. Maybe that has something to do with the manager leaving.

"When you look at the games they have lost, they had more than enough chances to turn those results around, but the forwards have all lost their way badly."