Mourinho, Klopp praise ref Anthony Taylor after Liverpool-United stalemate

Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho praised the performance of referee Anthony Taylor following Monday’s dour goalless draw between Liverpool and Manchester United.

The appointment of official Taylor for the Anfield clash between the two fierce rivals drew a backlash from Liverpool supporters due to the fact he is from the Manchester area.

United manager Mourinho himself expressed concern in the pre-match build-up when he said: “I think Mr Taylor is a very good referee but I think somebody with intention is putting such a pressure on him that I feel it will be difficult for him to have a very good performance.”

However, Taylor had an assured evening in the middle and Mourinho felt the referee handled the pressure of the match well.

“Can I speak about the referee without being punished?” He told a post-match news conference.

“He had a good game and I am happy for him because people with responsibilities put a lot of pressure on him. It would be difficult for him to have a good performance, which he had.”

Liverpool boss Klopp added that little talk about Taylor’s performance after the game can only mean he put in a good performance.

“Nobody is asking about the referee so maybe that’s the biggest compliment to him,” he said. “I can’t remember any harsh situations.”