In his post-match press conference, Jürgen Klopp gave a breakdown of the roller coaster of a match that saw Diogo Joto score a stoppage-time winner to beat Spurs 4-3. He also told supporters at Anfield to stop singing his song before the match was over and also addressed his yellow card and thoughts about match official Paul Tierney.
Klopp usually does not take too long to share his thoughts on a match before moving on to other topics, but he did today, and it was well worth reliving for Reds' supporters.
“The start into the game was absolutely exceptional again, some of the best we have played this season for sure,” Klopp said. “Then the problem, being 3-0 up that early; we are not the first team who misunderstood that. Should not happen, happened anyway. Not immediately but the first goal of Tottenham is the first moment where we don't defend properly, where we are not properly in the counter-pressing situation like the distances were right or whatever. That's why we end up with the long ball in behind, there's no offside and Virg (Virgil Van Dijk) slips, which obviously can happen – we shouldn't come into a situation like that.
“[They] scored a second and then in the last minute more or less, the free-kick on that side,” Klopp continued. “There is a situation before that, he (the referee) whistles a foul on Mo, (Mohammed Salah) we are alone in front of the goal, their defender slips but we are not allowed to play on. Ball goes back, there is a foul, free-kick in, goal. 3-3, doesn't feel great but that's what we got. But then Diogo Jota had a different idea and finished it off for us. That's the best part of the whole afternoon obviously.”
Klopp chided supporters at Anfield for singing the song, “I'm So Glad Jürgen Is A Red” after Liverpool went up 3-0 inside 15 minutes.
“I love all of them (the supporters),” he said. “But don't sing my song until after the game. Sing it in the bars. That song is for closing the game or after the game. We are 3-0 up early. The game is not over. It would be really nice if you could leave it for later.”
Klopp received a yellow card after Tottenham's 3rd goal to tie the game and addressed the history he has with the match official.
“How they can give a foul on Mohamed Salah (just before Spurs' third goal)? We have our history with Tierney. I really don't know what he has against us. He has said there is no problems but that cannot be true. How he looks at me, I don't understand it. My celebration was unnecessary, which is fair, but what he said to me when he gave me the yellow card is not OK. I understand we are supposed to be role models, but we are human beings first. My reaction (to Jota's goal) was a human reaction and I got a card for it and I think I pulled a hamstring. I have been punished enough.”
In some ways, the press conference was as bizarre as the match itself. Klopp rarely criticizes the officials and I have never heard him do so to the fans he did both today. Stanger still is that he was not asked about European qualification, which has been a major talking point for the past several weeks. I can't complain too, much after a big win though.
