Rashford destroying Alexander-Arnold was my fault, says Klopp

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Jurgen Klopp says he feels responsible for the mauling Trent Alexander-Arnold got against Marcus Rashford in March 2018.

Rashford reigned supreme as he scored twice, getting in behind his England colleague before turning inside and shooting into the corner before he found space on the left inside the box to fire home again,

United secured a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford and it was a harsh lesson for Alexander-Arnold, who later named it as “one of his most difficult days” and that he “underestimated” his compatriot.

Not even against Real Madrid, who “ganged up” on him in the Champions League final two months later, was Alexander-Arnold as exposed.

But Klopp believes he was to blame for the situation against United, having failed to remind a young Alexander-Arnold to “close the inside” against the speedy Rashford.

 

 

 

“I know after the United game a lot of people said immediately, that’s how it always is in football, ‘they need a new right-back’ or whatever,” he told Guillem Balague on the Pure Football Podcast.

“If he makes mistakes like he made in that game that’s really my fault. Especially these mistakes were my fault.

“He doesn’t know to close the inside in these situations. It is of course my mistake. You can say he knows it but he has to use it as well.

“Especially against Rashford playing on the left wing, it is clear you have to do that but I didn’t tell him again before the game. So, I really feel responsible for that.”

READ MORE: Alexander-Arnold reveals Klopp’s main message to Liverpool players