RANT OF THE DAY
News reporter: “Normally intensity is the name of your game, so how come it became so difficult in extra time?”
Jurgen Klopp: ‘I think it’s a bit of a stupid question. If you’ve never seen us, you might be wondering: how can they have more resources? We recently played, I don’t know how many games. I don’t know exactly how many games United have played. That’s sports. I’m very disappointed with that question, but of course you thought it’s okay?
News reporter: “So, too many games?”
Jurgen Klopp: “Oh come on. You’re clearly not in great shape and I have no nerves for you. And the question…what’s wrong with you? What did you want now”
News reporter: “How come you are so provocative?”
The first thing to say before Football Daily dissects Klopp’s bizarre post-match meltdown in the wake of Liverpool’s FA Cup exit at Old Trafford is that there was a lot he was angry about. Losing to Manchester United in particular is never fun this Manchester United. Losses in stoppage time from extra time this Most people would give Manchester United, who had led twice, a rise. Losses in stoppage time from extra time this Manchester United, who had led twice, would for most people blow the fairytale ending of a quadruple in his final season of a legendary spell as manager.
The second thing to say about it is that if the quotes above look bad, just wait until you do it see the video, people! After a few perfectly respectable and sensible questions from a Danish reporter, the tone and personal nature of Klopp’s answers are distasteful at best.
Related: Ten Hag says the FA Cup quarter-final win could be a turning point for United
Klopp has always been a vibe man. No one does it better than the German in the heat of battle, the teeth grinding, the chest pounding, the fist pumping, the hamstring shaking. Just as he is in synergy with the Kop and the legions of away fans who do so kept singing his name Twenty minutes after the final whistle on Sunday, Klopp has always had synergy with the city of Liverpool. The first thing he did with his family after his first press conference as Liverpool manager in October 2015 was throw a party at the Old Blind School. on Hardmanstraat.
But being a sore loser doesn’t fit well with Klopp’s cozy farewell story. In addition to the personal insults and questioning a reporter’s integrity, he also managed to utter a lot of gibberish. United were by far the better team in extra time and deserved the win. Their starting XI on Sunday had more academy graduates than Liverpool’s. Even with their injury list, Klopp and Liverpool are not really in a position to complain about ‘resources’. Liverpool have played more games recently because United are out of Europe. Perhaps Klopp would also prefer to crash out of the Big Vase next month.
“I was very surprised by it [the interview], and those standing around were scared, and were almost pressed against the wall like, ‘Wow, what the hell happened here?’” noted the aforementioned reporter, Danish broadcaster Niels Christian Frederiksen. Klopp is essentially a nice man. We think. But he also seems like a sore loser. There are worse things in life, of course, and Lord knows he’s not the first top manager to have this trait, but it would be nice to finish his final season without the nagging feeling that he’s also a bit of a talker at times is.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We are going through a period in which Turkish football is now completely fueled by chaos, in which tensions are constantly high and in which we cannot use the healing power of football” – Trabzonspor coach Abdullah Avci reacts after telling the fans of his own club has seen the pitch invade to brawl with Fenerbahce players celebrating their 3-2 win at Papara Park. FIFA head Gianni Infantino condemned the violence as “absolutely unacceptable” and called for those responsible to be held accountable. Sigh.
DOCKED FOREST
Nottingham Forest have been given a four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, leaving them in the relegation zone, one point away from safety. An announcement from the Premier League is expected on Monday and Forest are likely to appeal. Forest admitted the breach, but their defense was based on extenuating circumstances relating to the sale of Brennan Johnson. The club received a £30 million bid from Brentford early last summer, but the forward was unwilling to move and Forest felt they could get more money for their star if they waited past the PSR deadline of June 30. Johnson was sold to Tottenham for £47.5 million in September, but an independent panel did not accept this defence. You can read the Premier League statement. Go ahead, knock yourself out.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Knowing that a decision in the Nottingham Forest case was imminent, should we have called their weekend match against Luton Town a ‘relegation 14 pointer’? Or, given the inevitable downgrade on appeal, perhaps a ‘relegation 10-pointer’?” – Richard Reisman.
Um… Emlyn Hughes was definitely to the right of Bill Shankly (Friday’s Memory Lane). And while I’m at it, how could you tell he was happy? About the hair on the back of his head? There’s a whole world of mistakes in there, I’m starting to think the Tin came out early on Friday” – Jonathan Dobson (and 1,056 others).
When it comes to Ben White, I refer to Half Man Half Biscuit: ‘When the club versus country debate arose, little children were trampled in the exodus’. It is astonishing that a debate should arise over a private matter. The fact that Partridge/Southgate is cunningly orchestrating a social media succession is further evidence of his incompetence; then picking his favorites or playing decent players in the wrong position” – Kev McCready.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our letter o’ the day prize is… Kev McCready, who will receive a copy of Too Good to be Forgotten, published by Pitch Publishing. Visit their brilliant football bookshop here.
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