Jurgen Klopp lost his head in the heat of the moment and he knows it. He’ll cringe when he sees those pictures of him intimidating the assistant, Gary Beswick, who you imagine won’t be sending him a Christmas card this year.
But we’ve all been there. I lost my head as a player on occasion.
I once lost it as a dad, too, when I saw my son hacked down during an Under 14s game back in 2009.
Even now, 13 years later, I regret my reaction after the red mist descended. Other parents said I should be setting a better example and they’re right. I should, and Klopp should, too.
He is on an entirely different level from us touchline dads. He’s the manager of one of the world’s biggest clubs and millions watch how he acts. What he does is copied, despite what Frank Lampard is claiming. ‘If Klopp can do that in a top-flight game, why can’t I get away with it on a Sunday morning?’
Klopp has since acknowledged he was in the wrong, which is all he can do. But if we want managers to stop behaving in this way, the onus is on the FA to make sure the punishments are enough of a deterrent.
Klopp will be on the touchline against West Ham tonight and that’s wrong. If we want to stamp out this sort of behaviour, immediate bans are a must.
They should miss three games, six games, maybe even 10 if we truly want to drive home that this behaviour is unacceptable.
We see managers speak after matches and hold back in their criticism — the classic Jose Mourinho: ‘If I speak I’m in big trouble’ — but they’re less controlled when in their technical area. They are role models and need to remember that. If they forget, ban them. That’ll soon instill it in their minds.
Joybdlmstz
18
How about banning ref and assistants who are making silly mistakes and decisions that can make an impact in scoresheet? Also don't forget VAR 😒