‘I can understand’ – Klopp offers Everton sympathy after controversial moment v Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp ‘understands’ Everton frustration after controversial decision v Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he understands Everton and Sean Dyche’s frustration after Ibrahima Konate wasn’t sent off in the Merseyside derby.
Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners at Anfield on Saturday (21 October) thanks to two second-half goals from Mohammed Salah after the Toffees were reduced to 10 men when Ashley Young was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Luiz Diaz after 37 minutes.
While Dyche didn’t argue that his defender deserved to see red, he was left stunned that Konate also wasn’t given his marching orders after he committed a foul in the second half that seemed to warrant a second yellow card.
As quoted by the Daily Mail (21 October) he said: “I knew it would be tricky when Konate made the challenge. When he didn’t get the red card, I get it I thought I wouldn’t take any chances and took him off.
“I can understand the frustration of Everton and Sean, absolutely. Would we have won 10 v 10, I don’t know but we would have had a chance still because we were the better team. In the end, we deserved the three points, there is no doubt.”
Game changer
The biggest games in the football calendar should be decided by excellent individual performances and moments of magic, but Saturday’s Merseyside derby was won because of a referee’s decision-making as there was no consistency in the officiating.
For Klopp to come out and basically admit that he was expecting a red card to be shown and that be the reason that he removed Konate from the action so quickly is a clear demonstration of just how obvious it was that the Frenchman should have seen a second yellow.
It’s hard to say that Liverpool would have gone on to win if the game had been 10 v 10 as the Reds boss has suggested as the Toffees competed excellently throughout the match, even though they were a man short for much of the contest.
That makes the referee’s decision-making all the more disappointing as it looked as though Dyche’s side could have at least taken a point from their local rivals and who knows, had Young not been sent off and Konate was, they could have won the match.
Ultimately, Klopp’s sympathy will make very little difference to Dyche and his side.
