Rio Ferdinand says he saw a “huge amount of relief” from Jurgen Klopp at the end of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Ajax in the Champions League.
An 89th minute header from Joel Matip, which just went over the line, gave the Reds a crucial win in their first game since losing to Napoli 4-1 last week.
Liverpool are now tied on three points with Ajax and Napoli, who face Rangers in Group D on Wednesday after their game was pushed back.
“It just shows no matter what you do, what you have done in your past as a footballer, a couple of bad results and the pressure mounts dramatically, even more so for a club with the stature of Liverpool,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.
“Klopp you would say is indispensable, you put him in that category with Pep Guardiola, given what he’s done in the last couple of years.
“Even him, after a couple of games, you can see a huge amount of relief from him with a result like this.
“I think in a way, that they have done it with a late goal, it always heightens the emotions at the end of the game.
“For Liverpool it was all about the result, the performance was irrelevant in many ways.”
Liverpool were the better side for the majority of the game with Thiago playing a key role in midfield.
It looked like the Reds were set for another frustrating result, but Matip’s first Champions League goal in nine years proved decisive.
Former England international Rachel Brown-Finnis says Thiago’s intensity lifted the rest of the team.
“Thiago I thought was excellent in midfield. The appetite to press and put pressure on those midfield areas, make it harder for teams in possession,” she said.
“Elements of their performance were better [than against Napoli] but ultimately the three points were the best thing.”
