Souness takes swipe at Klopp and Liverpool despite dramatic Tottenham win

01 May 2023 , 09:01

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Graeme Souness was critical of Liverpool's display against Tottenham (Image: YouTube/Sky Sports)

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness was far from impressed with their performance against Tottenham, despite Jurgen Klopp's side winning the match 4-3.

Liverpool went 3-0 up in the first 15 minutes, but Spurs fought back and felt Richarlison's 93rd minute goal would be enough to earn them a point. However, a mere 99 seconds after Richarlison equalised, an error from Lucas Moura allowed Diogo Jota to net the winner for Liverpool.

Despite the dramatic nature of Liverpool's win, Souness was critical of their display and suggested Klopp needs to make a tactical tweak moving forward. In his final appearance as a Sky Sports pundit, the former Reds midfielder said: "Liverpool for that first 25 minutes were fabulous, at three nil you're thinking this is gonna be a real rout.

"Then, they took their foot off the accelerator and give credit to Spurs because they got a goal, then they got another goal, and at this point you're thinking Liverpool are hanging on.

"He [Klopp] will be happy that they've got the three points but he won't be happy with the 90 minutes of football. As young Trent [Alexander-Arnold] said there, big teams don't play football matches like that.

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"Big teams get the goals and then, if they're not dominating the ball, they close shop and don't give chances up. Liverpool, I have to say, look vulnerable at times and I think the penalty [for Ibrahima Konate's challenge on Richarlison] was a great shout and Tottenham can feel hard done by."

Souness was also particularly critical of Konate's performance, branding the 23-year-old "very raw" and suggesting Klopp needs to swap him with Virgil van Dijk if Alexander-Arnold is to continue bombing forward from right-back.

Liverpool beat Spurs 4-3 thanks to a late Diogo Jota winner (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"I think for Liverpool going forward, that is an issue," he added. "Konate is still learning the game. He may be what they want ultimately but I think, to me, he is still quite raw.

"I get why they want to push Trent further up there because he's the best kicker of the ball - we saw that with the first goal. Maybe swap Van Dijk over, let him play on that side, let him be the one who's going doing the covering.

"I think Konate found life very difficult today. Going forward for Liverpool, they must be looking at next year and thinking Matip can't keep himself fit - is he the answer? Konate is a young man learning the game - maybe he will be, maybe he won't."

Matthew Cooper