ANTI-CLIMAX AT OLD TRAFFORD
United-Liverpool showdown fails to live up to expectations
JURGEN Klopp said what everyone was thinking at full-time after watching his Liverpool side draw 00 with Manchester Untied. As Klopp shook United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s hand, Klopp could be seen uttering “F ***** g hell, what a s*** game” to his opposite number.
The match was affected by several injuries in the first half, with the hosts losing Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard while Liverpool had to replace Roberto Firmino with Daniel Sturridge after half an hour.
Klopp’s irritation at the poor quality of the match — in which his side had 65 per cent possession but only one shot on target — was exacerbated by the failure to establish a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Speaking to Sky, the German said: “It was a game without a lot of highlights I would say. It was intense of course.
“In the situation today for sure it was a point for United that they won and two points we lost.
“I’m not here to be frustrated, I am just saying what I saw. I always take what I get from my boys.
“It doesn’t feel world class in the moment but that is okay, we have a point more and Wednesday (tomorrow) is our next game.”
Klopp admitted Liverpool have to learn to cope with the pressure of being embroiled in a tense title race.
“Of course there is pressure but, from my point of view, it’s very positive,” Klopp added.
“It’s pressure but I don’t have to play, I just have to sit here and say dumb things, that’s easy!
“The boys have to learn in these situations and the only way we can do it is with passion.
Meanwhile, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson appeared to snub Klopp when he was substituted in the 72nd minute
The Reds were held to a frustrating stalemate against their fierce rivals and that looked to have spilled over when Henderson was taken off to be replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri as Liverpool tried to chase a winning goal.
The England international handed over the captain’s armband to James Milner, tapped Shaqiri by the touchline before turning to the away end to applaud the traveling supporters.
In the process, he marched past Klopp, who tried to grab him to shake his hand.
Henderson carried on towards the substitutes bench, brazenly passing the German in order to take his seat. Klopp then recalled the midfielder to the technical area and appeared to say “you didn’t shake my hand”.
Henderson then did, but with more words exchanged before he forcefully removed his hand to make his way back to the bench.
Liverpool hold a one-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, but have now used up the game in hand they held over Pep Guardiola’s team.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have concerns over his team’s midweek game — tomorrow’s visit to Crystal Palace — after Anthony Martial and Nemanja Matic failed pre-match fitness tests.
Marcus Rashford played most of the game with a painful ankle injury after being fouled early by Henderson.
“I think you can’t say ‘targeted’ but you can say there were quite a few fouls on him, definitely,” said Solskjaer when asked if Liverpool had set out to rattle Rashford.
“And normally I would take him off after five minutes, because whoever it was went straight through him. His ankle blew up straight away but he wanted to run it off.
“Then I couldn’t take him off with Juan and Jesse going off, so we’re hoping he’s not done too much damage. I’ve never seen the like of this before, having three hamstrings in the first half.”
Saluting his side’s battling display, which preserved his unbeaten record in the league since taking over as interim boss, Solskjaer said: “We were playing with 10 and half but the atmosphere made up for it, and Rashy’s attitude made up for it as well.
“I think they dominated the possession, had a lot of the ball but we had the biggest chances.”