Klopp downplays Pulis bust-up in ill-tempered stalemate
LIVERPOOL HOPE LOVREN’S INJURY AGAINST WEST BROM NOT TOO SERIOUS
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he must wait to discover the extent of Dejan Lovren’s injury after attempting to play down a touchline row with West Bromwich Albion counterpart Tony Pulis.
A bad-tempered 2-2 draw at Anfield was overshadowed by an injury to central defender Lovren, who was carried off on a stretcher after being caught by Albion midfielder Craig Gardner.
Both Klopp and Pulis said afterwards that Gardner got the ball, with the injury caused by the midfielder’s follow through.
There were heated exchanges between the two managers on the touchline after that, with Pulis disappearing down the tunnel at full-time without shaking the hand of Klopp, who then became embroiled in an argument with Albion assistant head coach David Kemp.
On Lovren’s injury, Klopp said: “We don’t know too much. It is a cut, everybody can see. We hope it is not too serious. We have to wait for the scan, see if it is swollen or not. I spoke to him, it felt not too bad.
“He (Gardner) played the ball, a millisecond before he hit Dejan. It was like the whole game, on the edge of everything. But he played the ball. If he didn’t play the ball, we don’t have to talk about this.”
Klopp insisted there was no controversy about the lack of a handshake with Pulis at the end of the match.
He added: “I wanted to go to my team. Do with this what you want. We had some words during the game.
“Sometimes it takes more than a few seconds to cool down. If you want to make a big story of this, please. Usually I shake hands. I did not today, because it was not a friendly game. But I wish him all the best.”
Emotional
Klopp was clearly emotional at the end of the match, responding to Divock Origi’s 96th-minute equaliser by punching the air and urging the home fans to encourage the team towards victory.
At full-time, he gathered his players together to salute the Kop. He said: “It was the best atmosphere in my time in England, absolutely great and I wanted to say thank you.”
Jordan Henderson gave Liverpool the lead before Albion scored twice from corners, with Craig Dawson turning in a loose ball after goalkeeper Simon Mignolet’s error, and Jonas Olsson flicking in at the near post from a Chris Brunt delivery.
Klopp added: “I don’t know how many of our goals (conceded)
Sometimes it takes more than a few seconds to cool down. If you want to make a big story of this, please. Usually I shake hands. I did not today, because it was not a friendly game.”
Jurgen Klopp | Liverpool manager
are from set-pieces, it’s something like 98 per cent.
“I said to Simon at half time, if somebody says it was your fault, it is not true, it is my fault. I want a keeper who comes out and tries for everything.”
Pulis defended Gardner over the challenge on Lovren. “The two worst tackles in the game were James Milner’s challenge on Gardner and Martin Skrtel’s challenge on Salomon Rondon. Gardner has played the ball.”
Pulis was unconcerned about the touchline confrontations with Klopp, though. “He is animated,” the Albion boss said. “I have been animated all my life on the bench. I have no problems with that. We have come here, tried to be resilient.
“I don’t think there was a booking during the game. The big disappointment was they got that goal.”