Ole’s scraps give Klopp bitter taste

IF they have to hand out bonuses for a top-four finish, Leicester City should throw a few quid the way of the protesters who were cavorting on this pitch a week last Sunday.

Because the knock-on effect of the postponement of Manchester United’s match against Liverpool was that Brendan Rodgers’ team only had to beat a reserve side to take a big stride towards Champions

League qualification.

And if they do secure that Champions League spot, it could be at the expense of, among others, Liverpool.

Being diplomatic, that is ironic – to say the least.

Liverpool did nothing other than endure a wasted day when they were scheduled to face United.

And the upshot was that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fields a second string XI against Leicester and will, almost certainly, send a first team out against Jurgen Klopp’s men tomorrow night.

Solskjaer is right to say he had little choice but if Klopp (inset) and David Moyes want to discuss the integrity of competition, they would be quite within their rights. This occasion has certainly influenced the squabble for those final Champions League places.

But after their poor displays at 10-man Southampton and at home against Newcastle United, this was just the fillip Rodgers (above) needed.

While the Foxes made heavy weather of it at times, at least they got the job done. And if they do go on and secure a place at Europe’s top table for next season, it will still be a significant achievement.

All season, Rodgers and his squad have shown a fair degree of resilience in coming through sticky spells.

Just as Caglar Soyuncu showed a fair degree of resilience here.

He had a shocker in the hammering by Newcastle and things did not get much better for him in the first half of this match as Mason Greenwood went past him as though he was a training cone to equalise the opener from Luke Thomas.

But Soyuncu’s headed winner was a thing of beauty.

Not for West Ham and not for Liverpool, though.

This was the night the race for the Champions League places got a little bit ugly.