REDS BOSS IN SWIPE AT CONTE-BALL

JURGEN KLOPP took a serious swipe at Tottenham’s tactics in the draw at Anfield.

The Liverpool boss questioned his opposite number Antonio Conte for using “world-class players” like Harry Kane and Heung-min Son to block balls. Spurs had only a third of the possession on Saturday night as they repeatedly parked all 10 outfield players on the edge of the box.

And asked about the quality of their defending, Klopp said: “I am sorry, I am the wrong person to ask because I don’t like this kind of football. But that is my personal problem. I think they are world-class and I think they should do more for the game.

“World-class players who block all the balls. It is really difficult.

“Yes I respect everything they do. But it’s not me.”

Conte’s ambition in the game was to soak up the pressure Liverpool exerted and break swiftly through Son, and it worked perfectly when Son put the Londoners ahead in the 56th minute.

But, when Liverpool levelled, the Italian boss seemed content with a point, despite trailing Arsenal in the race for the top four.

And Klopp was clearly not impressed by the approach, adding: “I know you all think the game-plan of Tottenham worked perfectly. Time-wasting, these kind of things, that’s what we have to accept. We have a different game-plan, obviously.”

The draw left Liverpool frustrated, but Reds defender Virgil van Dijk gave Spurs some credit for their approach, when he accepted their strategy almost worked as they went close to snatching a win at Anfield.

“Obviously you have to give them credit, they created good chances as well, on the break especially,” said the Dutch international.

“Obviously we knew their game-plan. We lost the ball in difficult situations and if you lose the ball in those situations you’re not well organised so they can do what they are good at.”