Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp suggests not having a fixture for more than two weeks contributed to his side's 3-1 defeat to Leicester City on Monday night.
The Reds last played Tottenham Hotspur on February 11 before going down to the Foxes at the King Power Stadium and the German manager believes the break may have affected the rhythm of his players.
"I am not sure, but one year ago we had a game every three days and sometimes we had to use this as an excuse," he said.
"I think that makes more sense to use it as an excuse because when you have injuries and then a game every three days…
"Now, 16 days [without a game] is not perfect for rhythm but for defending you don't need rhythm, for defending you need organisation.
"It was not the job to win the game in the first half – it was the job to win the game and if it is 0-0 before half-time then maybe the crowd will change a little bit.
"It's possible if they cannot create chances, that we will have chances. That's clear because we always have chances because we can play football.
"Being 2-0 down doesn't help, being 3-0 down doesn't help.
"Maybe it looked like at the end that a few players struggled with rhythm but I don't want to use it as an explanation or an excuse."
Source: tribalfootball.com