Champions League winner with Liverpool admits the team is now "painful to watch"

Former Liverpool Champions League winner Djimi Traore claimed it was “painful” watching Jurgen Klopp's side at present.

Liverpool are having their worst season since Klopp took over the club back in October 2015.

Indeed, after the Reds’ toothless 3-0 defeat to Brighton at the weekend the Liverpool boss claimed the performance was one of the worst of his coaching career. That’s some feat considering Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund side flirted with relegation in the German’s final season there.

However, the Merseyside club have been particularly poor this season. After 18 games Liverpool have scored fewer goals, conceded more, won fewer points and have a worse goal difference than at this stage in any previous full top-flight campaign under Klopp.

The club, who were Champions League finalists last term, have received an abundance of criticism for the performances this season, including from former players.

Liverpool “painful to watch”

Liverpool were labelled “painful to watch” by the club’s former left-back, Traore, who was part of the Reds side that won the Champions League in 2005.

However, the Malian insisted that Klopp could turn things around in the “next few weeks”.

Writing on Twitter Traore said: “It’s painful to watch Liverpool at moment but I believe [the] team [will] come back stronger in [the] next few weeks and surprise everyone in [the] Champions League.

“Liverpool never give up and trust Klopp to bring back the team [to the] top 3. We need reinforcement in [the] middle of the park.”

While Klopp has said it is unlikely the club would do more business in January, having signed PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo early in the window, Liverpool have been linked with a number of midfielders, including Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

Traore was not the only member of that 2005 Champions League winning squad to tweet out about Liverpool’s woes.

Jamie Carragher said: “Liverpool are as bad defensively as anyone in the Premier League right now.

"Fortunately they have the best 'keeper [Alisson Becker] which means they aren't further down the table."