Klopp bemoans the pitch and the referee after draw with Leicester

Jamie Woodhouse
Jurgen Klopp TEAMtalk

Jurgen Klopp reflected on a Reds performance riddled with errors after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City. 

The hosts went ahead after only three minutes, as a 30-pass move culminated in Andrew Robertson and Roberto Firmino combining to tee up Sadio Mane for a low shot around Harry Maguire’s legs and inside the far post.

Klopp was even less impressed when Maguire broke the offside trap to volley in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

Leicester would see chances come and go to claim victory, but it would finish 1-1 as the Reds stretch their Premier League lead to five points.

Speaking to BBC, Klopp said: “The opponent was well organised, very deep defending. The pitch was difficult and we needed to speed it up in the final third. Our counter-attacks in the opening moments were defended more by the pitch than our opponents!

“We put them under pressure but they did really well. We were unlucky with the goal in the last second before half-time. You have to take it how it is.”

Klopp branded his side’s handling of Maguire “not cool” following the England international’s equaliser.

“We had to change it. The situation with the goal was difficult. We defended the first goal, the second goal then tried to defend the third,” he explained.

“In the second half I don’t know why we tried to play him onside. It did not make sense. That was not cool.”

Liverpool saw a host of penalty claims turned down, the most shocking coming when Ricardo Pereira appeared to blatantly bring down Naby Keita in the box.

“It was probably the clearest penalty situation we have had,” insisted Klopp.

“The ref was in the best position on the pitch. You will have to ask him why he didn’t give a penalty.

“You cannot change it.”

 

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