Raging Klopp has a strop after breaking up Fab Four

MOHAmeD SALAH is some solo act but Jurgen Klopp needs to realise that in this city there are times when there really is no substitute for the Fab Four. He thought he could afford to rest Philippe Coutinho and roberto Firmino, and if Sadio mane had simply squared the ball moments after Salah had struck a quite brilliant opening goal, he would be looking rather clever this morning.

But mane was selfish in shooting when he should have passed to any one of three unmarked team-mates and Liverpool’s failure to build on their first-half advantage, in the absence of some South American flair, proved costly.

It left Klopp vulnerable not just to accusations of complacency but to Sam Allardyce’s cunning and the threat Wayne rooney still poses in these twilight years of his career. As Allardyce admitted, rooney’s 75thminute ball for Dominic Calvert-Lewin was one of the few decent passes his team executed in this distinctly one-sided merseyside derby.

But a tactic that worked well for Allardyce when he won here with Crystal Palace last season — essentially a ball in behind Dejan Lovren — once again worked a treat.

Lovren panicked and pushed the young everton striker in the back when he was running away from goal, conceding a penalty that rooney buried. As rooney revealed, he had been practising his spot-kick technique the previous day. Straight down the middle, it turned out.

Klopp was unable to contain his anger and disappointment, rowing with a television reporter and then appearing more than a little petulant in the press conference that followed.

Convinced that Lovren should not have been punished for what he considered only minor contact, he requested a show of hands from those who felt it was a penalty. When the majority raised their hands, he grumpily conceded he must be wrong.

One reporter started to shake his head and was met by a long, cold stare from the belligerent German and a member of the everton press office was then asked if he thought his team had played well. ‘I thought it was a good point,’ he said, with Klopp likening the response to his mother telling him he had done well at school when in fact he’d had a stinker.

Klopp also stood by his decision to leave his Brazilian forwards on the bench until the second half, pointing to the fact his side had more than enough possession and opportunities to win this game. He was right. Liverpool enjoyed nearly 80 per cent of the ball, unleashing 23 shots to everton’s three. In the first half, Jordan Henderson completed four more passes than the entire everton team put together.

BuTAllardyce said he was lifted by seeing Coutinho and Firmino on the bench and there can be no denying a side who had scored 40 goals in 11 games lacked their usual potency.

It was an opportunity missed for Liverpool to cement their position in the top four on a weekend Chelsea, Arsenal and manchester united dropped points. It was also perplexing, given how dangerous Liverpool looked after Salah had breached a determined everton defence in the 42nd minute.

It was not pretty from a cautious everton, with Jordan Pickford hoofing the ball at every opportunity and rooney performing defensive duties, often seemingly at right back.

The game had a distinctly english feel, and not just because of the snow that descended relentlessly on the perfect Anfield playing surface.

There were 11 englishmen in the two line-ups, 13 British players in all, and some heavy challenges, even if the worst of those was executed by Gylfi Sigurdsson, who was a little fortunate to escape with only a yellow card for catching Henderson on an ankle.

It took a moment of genius from Salah to break the deadlock, a wonderful combination of strength, balance, skill and intelligence.

After collecting a pass from the excellent Joe Gomez , some players might have opted to go down under the challenge that then came from Cuco martina.

But Salah stayed on his feet, turned away from martina, slipped inside Idrissa Gana Gueye and then used Ashley Williams to shield his curling left-foot shot from Pickford’s view.

By the time Pickford had reacted, the ball had sailed past him into the top corner of his net. It was the egyptian’s 19th goal of the season, and the 13th in the Premier League to make him the leading striker in england’s top flight.

With everton now forced to display more ambition — Allardyce pushed rooney further forward — the visitors seemed more vulnerable. But the chances Liverpool had were squandered, not least by mane when, much to the annoyance of his colleagues, he dragged his effort wide.

Klopp responded by hooking Salah and sending on Firmino, another questionable call. He responded to rooney’s penalty — and it was a penalty — by then dispatching Coutinho and Danny Ings from the bench, but to no avail.

everton had a well- earned point, reward for their endeavour if not their ambition, and Klopp threw a strop.