Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects to be on touchline for visit of West Ham despite red card against Manchester City; Klopp: "In German, we say with one drop the bucket overflows, does that makes sense? I'm not happy with my reaction, but that's the way it was and everybody saw it."
Tuesday 18 October 2022 17:24, UK
Jurgen Klopp expects to be in the dugout against West Ham despite being sent off for his touchline outburst during Sunday's Premier League win against Manchester City.
Klopp was shown a red card after fuming at assistant referee Gary Beswick for not flagging for a foul during the 1-0 victory at Anfield.
Speaking after the game Klopp said it was "about emotion" and took blame for the sending off, saying he "went over the top" but that he felt he had not disrespected the official.
Ahead of the visit of West Ham on Wednesday night, Klopp said he expects to lead his team at Anfield before accepting he could have handled the situation better.
"I think I will be there tomorrow because nothing has really happened yet. I don't think something will happen tomorrow a few hours before the game," the Liverpool manager said.
"I think I should have dealt with it differently, with the situation, which I do normally. It was a very intense game with a lot of decisions that the managers on both sides didn't understand.
"In German we say with one drop the bucket overflows, I hope that makes sense?
"I'm not happy with my reaction but that's the way it was and everybody saw it. That's the situation, I got the red card but now we wait for the process I suppose."
Reflecting on the fallout from their intense clash with City, Klopp said: "We don't have to be best friends but I am sure anyone wants to be with us. It's normal competition. It started here with the question, I answered, the rest was made of it.
"I said I respect what they are doing but my answer was still not right to some people. If a guy throws a coin it's a massive mistake. It was a brilliant performance against incredibly strong side. I saw situations I didn't want to see in a football game."
Klopp and Pep Guardiola's angry touchline rants during Sunday's stormy Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester City has put the behaviour of managers in the spotlight ahead of a midweek round of fixtures.
In a game beamed to hundreds of millions around the world, Liverpool's Klopp was shown a red card for angrily berating match officials in the second half after a foul was not given on Mohamed Salah.
Guardiola, whose side lost 1-0, was equally furious when a goal by Phil Foden was ruled out for a foul following a VAR check, yelling at referee Anthony Taylor.
The antics of both managers attracted criticism from Ref Support UK, a leading charity which offers support to referees in grassroots football where abuse is common.
"When you see world recognised figures like Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola behaving like that, it is then replicated by people in youth football and perpetuates the idea that it is OK to do it," Ref Support UK CEO Martin Cassidy said.
Klopp apologised after the game, saying he probably deserved his punishment and he received some backing from fellow managers on Tuesday, with West Ham's David Moyes saying he hopes the German would be on the touchline on Wednesday when his side travel to Anfield for a Premier League fixture.
"For 90 minutes or so, it becomes a really emotional game. Sometimes, you can change your character from what your true character is. If you look at the incident, he was probably right," Moyes said.
"I hope Jurgen is in the dugout. We want to play against the best. We have great respect for referees but I hope they understand that for 90 minutes we can lose our heads a bit.
"First thing I'll say is that I hope he is in the dugout opposite
"Part of this job is you want to play against the best, compete against them and Jurgen is up there with them all with what he has done for Liverpool over the years.
"His actions are part of it, we are really het up and if you were in that position you would probably feel the same."
Everton manager Frank Lampard said that 99.9 per cent of the time managers conduct themselves properly but that key decisions going against his team could "throw you".
"We have a responsibility, I understand that. There's also a microscope put on managers in the modern day and we're in highly pressurised jobs," Lampard, whose side face Newcastle United on Wednesday, said. "The amount of pressure we come under and the decisions that go against you can throw you."
Newcastle's Eddie Howe, one of the calmer managers, said he was aware his behaviour needed to set an example.
"I can't say I will never lose my emotions because you never know what the future holds but I certainly try not to," he said.
"I am very aware that I am going to be looked at by millions of children and you have an expectation to make sure the game is upheld in the right way with the right spirit."
"We have all got great respect for referees and the work they have to do, I hope in their way they will understand that, for 90 minutes and a bit longer we might lose our heads a little bit."
Liverpool's match against City was not the only top-flight game in which referees were harangued by players at the weekend, with incidents at Manchester United, Southampton and Leeds United.
