Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Danny Mills has recently slated Jurgen Klopp for not attending the Reds FA Cup match against Shrewsbury.
The team that just about got past Shrewsbury was heavily rotated, however, Danny Mills still believes Jurgen Klopp should have turned up to support the young Liverpool players that took part in the contest.
When speaking on talkSPORT, Mills stated: “If you’re the manager you don’t suddenly go ‘I can’t come in,” the former Manchester City man said.
“He [Jurgen Klopp] didn’t have to do tactics or training, just be there for the kids.”
An own goal from the League One side’s Ro-Shaun Williams was all that divided the two sides, but perhaps if Klopp was there the youngsters would have performed slightly better – being eager to impress in front of the boss.
However, the Reds are currently leading the way in the Premier League on 73 points and are still in with a chance of lifting the UEFA Champions League title again, so clearly the German manager feels his side has bigger fish to fry.
Klopp has been very keen on his side having enough time to rest in this winter break, which is the main reason why he and the majority of his senior players failed to show up in the FA Cup replay.
It easy to see why some people might think the German is disrespecting the cup and the opposition by not even turning up to the match, but this feels like more of a logistical move than an emotional one.
Liverpool’s next match is against Norwich in the Premier League on 15th February and will play again on 18th February against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. This is the sort of short turnarounds that Klopp is trying to protect his squad against.
Whether you agree with the former Borussia Dortmund manager or not, it was ultimately his call and Klopp clearly feels it was one that had to be made.
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