‘It’s like talking to my MICROWAVE’: Jurgen Klopp launches a new frustrated rant at referees for letting Brentford ‘play as they wanted’ to beat Liverpool and says ‘ANYONE’ knows third goal wasn’t right
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said there is no point bothering to complain to Premier League referees as it is like speaking to a microwave, with the German left fuming with the officiating in their 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Monday.
Klopp said Brentford were ‘stretching the rules’ with their pushing and holding, especially at set-pieces, and thought Bryan Mbeumo’s third goal should have been ruled out for a foul.
When asked whether he had spoken to the match officials about the issue, Klopp told beIN Sports: ‘Yeah, but actually that’s exactly the same as I would talk to my microwave, you get no response, really. It’s always the same.
‘Before the season they gave us advice that the players have to be careful in these moments because the refs will have an eye on it. You see in these games pretty much everything is allowed, it’s always on the edge and they are using it.’
Last month Klopp escaped punishment from the FA for his comments towards Paul Tierney after Liverpool’s draw against Tottenham.
‘The ref and the VAR doesn’t say a word,’ Klopp fumed that day, picking out key decisions that had gone against his side. ‘I really have no idea what’s his (Paul Tierney) problem with me. You need an objective ref.’
At Brentford he was not perturbed by the potential for punishment and again questioned with the referee was allowing a level of physicality he claims was to be vigilantly monitored.
‘We had a meeting before the season where they told us not the foul on Ibou, but the behaviour in the box, the refs will whistle, but unfortunately they don’t do it,’ Klopp added in his press conference.
‘Do I expect it? I don’t expect anything in our favour, I just think a foul is a foul, holding is holding and pushing is pushing.’
Liverpool repeatedly failed to deal with the crosses, but Klopp pinpointed the officials for not clamping down.
He said: ‘They stretch the rules in these moments. They are really pushing, really holding. The refs…that’s obviously what you can do.
‘They stretch the rules in offensive set pieces. Don’t get me wrong it’s smart but they do.
‘If you single out the situations you will find five fouls but it is so chaotic nobody sees it. But it is what they do and it is really good.’
Virgil van Dijk was one of three Liverpool players to come off at halftime but Klopp confirmed the defender was substituted due to a niggle, while the other two – Harvey Elliott and Konstantinos Tsimikas – were for tactical reasons.
‘Virgil felt a little bit the muscle and said it is fine, and he is a very good judge of these kind of things. But I didn’t want to take any risks,’ Klopp said.
‘The physios looked quite happy when I said we don’t take risks. It’s not an injury, he just felt the intensity.’
Liverpool remain sixth in the league, four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have played a game less.
