Klopp goes 'Stone Cold' by comparing Luton's Liverpool tactics to wrestling

06 November 2023 , 08:22

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Jurgen Klopp wasn't happy with Luton's tactics against Liverpool (Image: talkSPORT)

Jurgen Klopp accused Luton of using WWE-style tactics to defend at set-pieces after being held to a draw.

Luis Diaz stole all the headlines on Sunday afternoon by coming off the bench to score a late equaliser with his father still being held hostage back home in Colombia. Tahith Chong had stunned the visitors at Kenilworth Road by scoring an 80th-minute opener.

The Liverpool boss later labelled the contest "a strange game" where the draw was "the deserved result". But the German was booked in the second half for protesting after Virgil van Dijk was manhandled to the floor in the Luton box.

And in his post-match press conference, Klopp claimed: "I respect a lot what they do but the way they defend set-pieces, if you watch it back, that's wrestling. It’s not on the edge, it’s on the wrong side of it. But they don’t get punished, so why should they change it?

"That was a little bit of a discussion around that (on the touchline). We thought before they scored - not the goal itself - when Virgil’s opponent brought him down, I think it was a good point scored in wrestling."

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Klopp also defended attacker Darwin Nunez, who missed a series of chances, including a sitter from four yards out after the break. "Darwin is 100 percent in the team," the Anfield boss added. "It’s just sometimes you can’t start again, and then you come on.

Luis Diaz scored a late equaliser on Sunday afternoon (AP)

What do you make of Jurgen Klopp's post-match interview? Let us know in the comments below!

"The first chance he had was really well done, great pass, first touch top and then he nails it on to the crossbar. The whole team was not in a goalscoring mood today obviously, and that’s not helpful.

"But what makes Darwin really different is that he’s involved in pretty much everything. We should have finished better, but I don’t think our finishing was the problem today. We should have created other things more, and we would have finished one or two situations off. I would have been happy to win here 1-0 but for that we should have played better."

Liverpool have a battery of forwards to call on and Klopp added: "Our five offensive players are all in the team. We just have that many games that they can’t all play in them.

"If one has a little bit of a problem, then hopefully the other four are fit and we find three of them who can start together. One can come on, and then we have young kids or Harvey (Elliott) can come on. We have different solutions."

Neil McLeman