Jurgen Klopp must be getting worried, because his comments last week about Manchester United and penalties were straight out of Sir Alex Ferguson's playbook.
It was mind games — an attempt to influence referee Paul Tierney and get inside his head before a huge match between Liverpool and United this Sunday.
Klopp was correct when he said United have won more penalties in two years than Liverpool have in his five and a half at Anfield. He was smart, because his comments could not get him into trouble with the authorities.
But let's be clear: there is no conspiracy on the part of referees and officials. Was Klopp insinuating there is? Or was he suggesting United have players who are encouraged to dive?
If his intention was the former, then I've got no time for that. It simply is not true.
But if he was highlighting the ease with which some United players go down in the penalty area then, yes, I believe he was making a valid point. Even if it does ignore similar suspicions about some of his stars.
I have watched United closely this season and analysed each of their 11 penalty awards.
There are as many as five where I believe contact was invited or even initiated by the United player.
Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood are the players involved.
They are, in many ways, being clever.
Once there is contact and the penalty is awarded, VAR will rarely overturn the decision.
Notice, too, that more players are going down in what referees call the 'dead zone' in the penalty area, a position from which they have little chance of scoring. Rashford did it against Newcastle when he was heading out of the area and took the chance to go to ground under a loose leg from Jamal Lewis.
But this is where Klopp should be careful, because that is exactly what Sadio Mane did when going down too easily under Kyle Walker-Peters' challenge during last Monday's 1-0 defeat at Southampton.
The ball was running out of play and, in a different position with the chance to score, I believe Mane would have ridden the challenge.
So there were a couple of things to take from Klopp's comments after that game. First, he sounds like a hypocrite if he is suggesting United's players are looking to win penalties. The likes of Mo Salah and Mane are just as capable of employing similar tactics.
He is clearly getting edgy, though, because not since Fergie have we seen such a blatant attempt to influence a referee ahead of a big game. Klopp wasn't doing this last season when Liverpool were winning every week.
He does not like losing, he never has. He gets prickly. But he is wrong to suggest there is an aura around United that sees them given favourable decisions. There used to be when Fergie was there, but that has eased massively since he left.
I am the only referee to give three penalties to the opposition at Old Trafford, and that was for Liverpool, of all teams, in 2014.
But David Moyes was manager — I'm not sure that would have happened when Fergie was there!
pibekptuz
457
The truth is getting a penalty needs luck too. The problem is that if the referees don't give a penalty, is very rarely that VAR will overrule him unless is very clear and obvious foul committed. Just like when the referee gives a penalty, VAR will only most likely overrule it if it was an obvious clear error. Salah and Mane dive a lot but referees don't buy their cheap tactics in most matches, that'd why and Manchester United had luck. We'll see on Sunday if there will be a controversial penalty award to either team but when it's a clear penalty, it must be awarded regardless of who but I hope every favorable decision goes with Manchester United
Andy_Mac
420
In other words, Mark Clatternburg is talking as a Man Utd fan 😂
luhadnstz
402
This is the very reason why I became a Man Utd fan in the first place. All premiership club are always envious of them and out of the envy, Man Utd grinds out results. Those who live in glass houses don't throw stones. For three seasons Liverpool were flying with City while other top teams were struggling and undergoing rebuilding, no single complaint. Today they are meeting more competition, they now remember penalty statistics. Which of them asked for Man Utd penalty statistics between 2013-2019 when man Utd were playing defensive and boring football. Is Klopp telling us he has forgotten he trained the best diver in Mo Salah. During the difficult times, Man Utd family did not complain about other clubs and their success. Even the club legends focused their analysis and criticism on the club tactics, policies, poor decisions and mentality. Man Utd coaches are expected to talk less of others and focus on the club itself. That's why Mourinho was disliked because he talks too much and has many excuses. Klopp should learn better and stop his hypocrisy. Liverpool has been a great benefactor of favourable officiating over the past years. Klopp did not complain when man Utd were denied a clean goal against burnley.
rahadiktuy
335
Clattenburg, like most brainless klopp haters, have missed the point entirely. Klopp wasn't complaining about players diving, he was complaining about the poor standard of referees and the inconsistent application of VAR, which was justified by Michael Oliver's confession about THAT decision among others. But as usual, haters can't see beyond their noses.
fkmadridsukdik
80
last season half of points were given with dives from liverpool players ,or else how can they actually win a trophy
Winerpool
8
The truth is getting a penalty needs luck too. The problem is that if the referees don't give a penalty, is very rarely that VAR will overrule him unless is very clear and obvious foul committed. Just like when the referee gives a penalty, VAR will only most likely overrule it if it was an obvious clear error. Salah and Mane dive a lot but referees don't buy their cheap tactics in most matches, that'd why and Manchester United had luck. We'll see on Sunday if there will be a controversial penalty award to either team but when it's a clear penalty, it must be awarded regardless of who but I hope every favorable decision goes with Manchester United
Brighton Liverpool this year, the referee didn't give penalty, VAR recall for awarding penalty to Brighton Liverpool Westbrom, Goalkeeper hold Mane. Referee didn't give penalty and VAR didn't recall for review the action. This is where there is frustration. But I agree with you, it is a luck but the decision of VAR are unfair