Liverpool defender Joe Gomez says the team are being much smarter about game management this campaign compared to previous seasons.

The Reds have an excellent defensive record in the Premier League, matched only by Manchester City, and the centre-back says a more deliberate approach has been encouraged by Jurgen Klopp:

“We are not a less attacking team this season, it’s a matter of being conscious of game management and the manager is making sure we stay switched on.”

“We take pride in those games now. He used to yell at the top of his lungs. Now he doesn’t need to.”

The Merseyside club did score four past Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night, but the gung-ho style that received praise last season has rarely been evident this campaign.

Gomez admits that there was a brittleness about Liverpool’s defending in the past, citing the 3-3 draw against Sevilla in the Champions League as an example:

“We had a few games where we let things slip and a team that wants to win the Premier League can’t have that. In Seville, we needed to manage the game but couldn’t keep the ball and got intimidated. I was like: ‘What is going on?’.”

“When that happens it feels like a slippery slope and once one goes in you can start panicking. It feels like it’s out of your control and you are going to concede again.”

The 21-year-old has been moved between right-back and centre-back so far this season, but many believe his future lies in the centre of defence.

Gomez’s partnership with Virgil van Dijk has certainly blossomed with the experience that the Dutchman provides no doubt helping his development as a defender.