I will never send my team out to play like United, insists Jurgen
JURGEN KLOPP insisted he would never set Liverpool up to play like Manchester United as he bemoaned another performance that never got its right reward.
Liverpool’s manager was adamant his side did enough to win a sterile contest with their most bitter rivals but recognised a failure to take chances again proved costly.
The draw means Liverpool stay in seventh and they have only won once in the Premier League since the start of September but Klopp is adamant they are making progress.
‘The performance was worth three points. We were the better side,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘I think Man United came here for the point and they got it. We wanted three points and didn’t get it.
‘I’m sure if we played like this, you could not do this at Liverpool. Obviously for Man United it is OK. It’s quite difficult when a top-class team like Man United has that defensive approach. You’re not going to get 20 chances.
‘But we had enough, a big one in the first half, and a penalty I feel. We were unlucky.’
Klopp was asked in his post-match press conference to expand on what he felt about Mourinho’s smothering tactics and the fact United only had one attempt on target. But he replied: ‘Nice question! If I say, “No” people will say I don’t want to win anything.
‘If I say, “Yes” then people are already afraid, so no comment. ‘I said it was obvious they made a more defensive approach.
‘That was obvious but that is completely fine, so it looked to me that they wanted a point but if they can get three they will take it.
‘We have to stay positive and for me it is easy because the performance gives me enough reasons to stay positive.
‘Absolutely the boys performed again, learned a lot from the last game.’
Liverpool had an appeal for a penalty when Philippe Coutinho was sent tumbling in the box at one point, while there were claims that United striker Romelu Lukaku should have been shown a red card following a coming together with Dejan Lovren, where he appeared to flick a boot at the prone Croatian defender.
Klopp said: ‘I saw the penalty situation again and yes, in my opinion, it’s a penalty.’