Klopp wants Liverpool fans to stop chanting his name
Liverpool’s fans proved a source of irritation to Jurgen Klopp, as the Reds manager took exception to hearing his name sung before the end of Saturday’s Merseyside derby win.
Goals from Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi beat Everton 3-1 at Anfield on Saturday, cementing the Reds’ position in the Premier League top four.
A first Anfield derby since the stadium’s renovation had a raucous soundtrack, but Klopp responded to a late chanting of his name by pointing to his watch.
Asked about a crackling derby atmosphere, Klopp instead opted to point out his concerns about complacency.
Jurgen Klopp screams at the Kop to celebrate at the final whistle @LivEchoLFC #LFC #Klopp#Liverpool @JamesPearceEcho @AndyK_LivNews pic.twitter.com/pPKdrQGE59
— Colin Lane (@snapperlane) April 1, 2017
He said: “The crowd can do what they want but I thought in this moment, I don’t know why, the game is still five, six minutes to go, so how can they start now singing this?
“Actually it’s difficult for me to understand and I really think it’s important. For me it’s kind of a sign that we think it’s done and the game is done. It’s done at the final whistle not a minute earlier.”
A typically fierce derby contest had plenty of hefty challenges, Ross Barkley attracting attention for a studs-up tackle on Dejan Lovren which earned a booking.
Klopp praised his players’ ability to remain composed amid a frantic contest.
“In all three derbies we played until now we were exactly like this,” he said. “I know people from other clubs think I’m crazy because I look like I look, I’m sorry for this.
“I’m really emotional but my teams are always top of the fair play table because aggressiveness is to hurt yourself. Being hard means to be hard against yourself. I thought we dealt really well with the importance of the game.”
