YULE LOG JAM

Klopp kops it... but so do Reds’ rivals

LIVERPOOL have had their pleas for a more forgiving fixture list ignored and been handed a punishing pre-Christmas schedule.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Leicester are unlikely to be impressed by the latest round of televised games either, given they will have a day less than Liverpool and Spurs to recover over the festive period.

Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp took particular aim at broadcasters Sky and BT of late, claiming he will not have 11 fit players to choose from by the end of the season if they keep having only two days between matches.

He hit out again following the Champions League defeat to Atalanta, describing asking his men to play on Wednesday night and t hen on Saturday lunchtime at

MAN CITY:

Boxing Day: Man City v Newcastle Mon, Dec 28: Everton v Man City

Brighton as “almost a crime”. But that is precisely what Liverpool must do next month when they host Spurs on Wednesday December 16 and then travel to the capital to face Crystal Palace in a 12.30pm kick- off on the Saturday.

Klopp perhaps sensed another fixture carve-up was coming when he said: “You, my special friends, ask us to go at Saturday at 12.30, ( after playing at 8pm Wednesday) which is nearly a crime to be honest. Nearly a crime.”

But his managerial rival at City, Pep Guardiola, Frank Lampard at Chelsea and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers will be just as upset after learning they must play on

Boxing Day and again two days later, while Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United will have an extra day to recover over the festive period.

Chelsea go to Arsenal on Boxing Day and entertain Aston Villa 48 hours later. City host Newcastle on Boxing Day and are at Everton on December 28. For Leicester it is Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

In all, 12 clubs have two games in the space of three days but Liverpool, Spurs and United are not among them.

There will be a terrestrial TV first when the BBC screen Aston Villa’s Boxing Day clash with Crystal Palace at 3pm - which is certain to attract a massive audience.

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