Ronald Koeman has defended former Saints stars Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne and said that Liverpool’s struggles are down to the club as a whole rather than any individuals.

Lallana, Lovren and Rickie Lambert all departed St Mary’s for Anfield over a year ago, while Clyne jumped ship for Merseyside in the summer.

None of them have really hit the heights expected of them for the price tags paid.

Lambert has subsequently left the club, Lovren has struggled badly, while Lallana has been in out and of the team. For Clyne it remains early days, but the Reds’ struggles this season were underlined by the sacking of Brendan Rodgers.

Jurgen Klopp takes charge of his first home league match as Liverpool boss this afternoon with Saints the visitors to Anfield, and Koeman stuck up for the former Saints stars.

“The whole situation of the team, of the club,” he said. “Maybe they had some difficulties to have and to show the expectation that everybody expect from Liverpool.

“You can take individual players out of that but the whole club, the whole team has really that difficulties.

“If it’s not like that you don’t sack maybe the manager because it’s going wrong for the people who make that decision and not for me because I am out of that, I don’t know. I am not part of it.”

He added: “Maybe it’s more easier to do it for Southampton than for Liverpool because the expectations are different.

“They are part of the team. Clyne was a fantastic right full back and Lallana was a great player and still Lallana is a very good technical player, and Lovren is injured at the moment and difficulties in the beginning but all of them are good players for that level of Liverpool.”

Koeman has been asked a lot in the last few days for his views on Klopp, but has preferred to try and focus on his side.

The Saints boss is looking forward to meeting his German counterpart after the match, but before that will keeps his thoughts to himself.

“Of course I have to talk about somebody who I don’t know. It’s difficult because then conclusions out of the press and that’s difficult,” said Koeman.

“He showed his qualities as a manager at Dortmund. Very successful.

“He gets now the challenge to Liverpool.

“It’s a big challenge for a manager and we will see what happens.

“I know about his history, that he was coach at Mainz and he get the opportunity but we have to understand that the manager will not win the game, the manager will not lose the game. It’s the players who are involved in the final result.

“I understand a big story about Klopp in the press because it’s Liverpool, it’s Klopp. But it’s a bit too much.”

When asked what advice he would give Klopp on his move to England, Koeman replied: “For me maybe it’s different than for him but it’s all about the person by himself.

“I am not the manager of Southampton to give Mr Klopp advice. Why?

“He’s an experienced coach, he will do it by himself, I didn’t get any advice from other managers when I came to Southampton.”