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A defiant Alberto Moreno reflected on his Liverpool resurgence and insisted: “My critics should shut their mouths now.”

The Spanish left-back looked destined to leave Anfield this summer after a miserable 2016/17 campaign when he lost his place to James Milner and started just two Premier League matches.

Liverpool rejected a bid of £11million from Napoli in June but were prepared to sell him for £15million. However, rather than throw in the towel, Moreno told Jurgen Klopp during showdown talks at Melwood at the start of pre-season that he wanted to stay and fight for his place.

Competition was increased with the arrival of £10million signing Andy Robertson from Hull City, but Moreno rose to the challenge and forced his way back into Klopp’s plans. He has started four of Liverpool’s opening six Premier League matches this term and been picked ahead of Robertson for both Champions League games.

“I am very, very happy personally with the way things are going this season,” Moreno said.

“I spent a whole year pretty much without playing many games at all. It was a bad season for me, it reflects badly on my family, they don’t have a good time either.

(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

“Things were bad over the summer. The word was that I would be leaving and that I should leave. However, at no point did I agree with those claims.

“I wanted to stay here and fight for my place and that is the mindset I had when I came back for pre-season, I wanted to fight for my career and my future at this club.

“When I did get back for pre-season I wanted to have a chat with the manager and to be fair to him, he sat down with me. I said to him honestly: ‘I want to stay at the club, what can I do to forge a place for myself in the side and I’d like it if you could be honest with me.’

“To be fair, he was very sincere, he was very honest, he said: ‘Look, I can’t sit here and promise you a place in the side. I am signing a new left-back.’

“It was Robertson who came to the club, but he encouraged me to keep working and see how things go in the pre-season and that is what I did. That focused my efforts on wanting to stay, wanting to work hard. I had offers but at the forefront of my mind was always that I wanted to stay here.

“It is a club I love and a city and a place I love as well. I’ve made a good start to the season so the critics who were saying I should leave should shut their mouths now. I couldn’t be happier.”

Moreno’s prospects may have changed dramatically but criticism continues to dog the Liverpool team he’s part of.

Klopp’s men go into Sunday’s Premier League clash at Newcastle on the back of just one win in six games in all competitions in September.

The Reds have leaked 19 goals in 11 matches this term with defensive frailties ensuring that a number of highly promising performances have gone unrewarded.

“I think you’ve always got to say that football is a team game, made up of 11 players and those 11 players have to attack together and have to defend together as well,” Moreno said.

“To attach blame only to the defenders is always going to be a little unfair. It’s about working together as a team. We know ourselves that we have to improve defensively and that we’ve been conceding too many goals.

“I think maybe as a result of the last few games we are more focused, attentive and conscious as players that we have to make less errors at the back, and particularly tighten up at dead ball situations like throw-ins and corners. We really have to aim for a clean sheet at Newcastle.”

(Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Moreno insists the issues at the back have been down to individual mistakes rather than Klopp’s expansive style of play leaving the backline exposed.

“I’d put it down to a lack of concentration more than anything else,” he added.

“It’s just at particular moments, maybe from a quick throw or the second ball dropping from a corner, we’ve not managed to clear. We’ve got to focus on being strong for 90 or 95 minutes.

“The manager’s style hasn’t changed. He has always remained pretty faithful to his thoughts and the way he wants us to play the game.

“His approach has always been to defend well, but at the same time when we attack, attack in numbers. We’re trying to remain faithful to that ethos. Pressing remains his most fundamental idea. As soon as we lose possession do everything we can to surround the ball and get it back as quickly as possible so it’s ours again.”

What cost Liverpool victory against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League in midweek was the stack of chances they wasted. When you don’t kill teams off then that puts extra pressure on your defenders.

Moreno is hoping for some divine intervention to help the goals flow again.

“I’ve just seen a stat flying around where it says we’ve had something like 126 shots in the last six games which is a massively high number,” Moreno said.

“For one reason or another, whether it is down to a bit of luck not falling our way, the ball is just not going into the net.

“I pray to him upstairs that if we do get a chance, they start to go in a little bit more frequently. I think if you look at the majority of recent games, you could argue we deserved to win.

“It can’t be down to the fact we’re not playing right because we wouldn’t be creating that many chances. 126 shots on goal, something is working right. Maybe it is just the rub of the green.”

Life is certainly demanding as a full-back under Klopp with Moreno having a key role to play at both ends of the field. But after a bleak 12 months, he’s simply loving being back out there.

“I just enjoy playing,” he added.

“As a defender, you do get some teams where the wide men tuck in and that makes it a lot easier. The team as a whole defends deeper and you are getting help from midfielders.

“But these days a lot of football is based on attack-minded full-backs. My mind first and foremost is to defend but you also want to help the team as much as you can by getting forward and creating chances.

“To do that requires a big effort - both physically and mentally - but that’s what we work for.”