‘Pathetic’ Klopp told he needs urgent reality check to end Liverpool agenda
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp must learn to accept the sometimes short turnaround that comes with the Premier League’s broadcasting contracts, according to Chris Sutton.
Klopp has twice in the past two weeks complained of the injuries his side have endured due to their intense schedule.
He aired his first rant at Sky Sports, which came after Naby Keita picked up a hamstring issue against Leicester.
More recently, though, the German took his case to BT Sport. Indeed, he got into a lengthy and heated argument with reporter Des Kelly after James Milner’s hamstring injury against Brighton.
Klopp based his latest tirade on the fact that the Reds had played on Wednesday evening and then again on Saturday lunchtime. Klopp was unhappy that BT had picked Liverpool so soon after playing their last game.
Sutton, though, has pointed out that BT are well within their rights to select Liverpool in the Saturday 12.30pm time slot, regardless of the broadcaster also airing their midweek Champions League commitments.
“Jurgen Klopp has got this one badly wrong,” Sutton wrote in a column for the Daily Mail. “For the manager of Liverpool to blame James Milner’s injury on BT Sport was embarrassing. Good on Des Kelly for holding his ground in that icy interview.
“Liverpool are happy to take the money — from a contract they signed up to — but Klopp wants to have his cake and eat it.
“Sorry Jurgen, it doesn’t work like that. You cannot pocket the cash, pay your players their nice wages, have a good-sized squad full of talent, compete in big competitions like the Champions League — then choose when you get to play.”
Sutton slams ‘pathetic Klopp’
Sutton also said that he would have been happy to see Klopp argue against Brighton’s last-minute penalty, a controversial incident from the match itself.
But he added that the manager’s focus on off-field issues was “pathetic”.
“I wouldn’t have a problem if Klopp had come out with a pop about the penalty against Andy Robertson,” the pundit added.
“I didn’t think it was worthy of a spot-kick. Certainly I didn’t think it was a clear and obvious error.
“But to moan about playing at 12.30pm on Saturday was pretty pathetic. BT and Sky Sports pick the matches they want to show, as per their agreement. Klopp and Liverpool signed up to that. Would he like it if the broadcasters picked his team?
“This is something that has been bugging Klopp. Almost two weeks ago, there was a big interview with the Liverpool boss in this newspaper.
“Klopp used that chat with Jamie Redknapp to say broadcasters need to use their brains. But Klopp needs to get with the programme. BT have the Saturday 12.30pm contract, and why wouldn’t they want to show the champions?”
Liverpool return to action on Tuesday when they face Ajax at Anfield in the Champions League. A win will see the Reds secure their place in the last 16 of the competition.
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