Though he can be quite outspoken and spiky if he needs to be, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, appears to be generally well-liked by the media pack who bombard him with questions pre and post-match for their various organisations.
The German makes great television simply because his answers are never monotone or boring and he’ll happily go off on a tangent whilst making a point.
Not for him the media trained nonsense that players spout week in and week out. Klopp is happy to say it how it is, come what may.
Sometimes that’s seen him on the wrong side of the FA but part of his appeal is his honesty and forthrightness.
However, he might have finally overstepped the mark, certainly as far as some in the media are concerned.
The furore surrounding the disallowed Luis Diaz goal at the weekend against Tottenham Hotspur is still making headlines, even more so now as Klopp hinted in a press conference that perhaps a replay would be the solution.
That’s been given short shrift by Sky Sports’ Gary Neville and Times Sport’s Chief Football Writer, Henry Winter.
You can’t replay the game. Every manager would then call for replays. That way madness lies. Jurgen Klopp has done so much for English football: the drama, joy and success of his football, bond with his players and fans, nurturing talent. But calling for a replay is ridiculous.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) October 4, 2023
???!! Can’t believe how Liverpool have grabbed defeat from victory in their handling of this ! They were wronged by a shocking mistake.End of! https://t.co/O47oT7gvlw
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) October 4, 2023
Both took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their opposition to Klopp’s point of view, and they’re unlikely to be alone in their thinking.
Whilst the error made by the officials was an horrendous one, it was a genuine human mistake. Calling for a replay would set a ridiculous precedent.