London - Jurgen Klopp has hit out at football’s fixture planners over what he calls ‘unbelievable’ Christmas scheduling.
Liverpool’s manager is furious that his side have had a home game with Manchester City switched to 5.30pm on New Year’s Eve, leaving them less than 48 hours to recover for a 3pm kick-off at Sunderland on January 2.
That will be their third match over the festive period in seven days and Klopp will explore getting the Sunderland game moved.
He said: ‘I understand tradition. I’d never say Boxing Day is not a good idea. I love it and have absolutely no problem. But having a match day with two days between?
There should be another possibility. I don’t know why we play Monday. Is January 2 a special day in England? 48 hours between two games? How does this work?
‘Then you (the media) will sit there and say, “You didn’t perform too well, how did this happen?” ‘Do you say, “Only 50 per cent against City because we have Sunderland on Monday”?
It doesn’t sound like it is right.’ Liverpool would not need Sunderland’s co-operation if they ask for the fixture to be moved as Rule L7 states a ‘club may apply to the Board for permission to rearrange any fixture so that it is played on a different date or a different kick-off time’.
It is not known whether the Premier League would agree to a request, given how crammed the schedule is at that point in the calendar.Klopp believes fixture congestion ends up costing England at major tournaments, saying: ‘We have less than 48 hours between our game against Man City on and in Sunderland - 48 hours is an interesting idea but less than 48 hours?
I cannot believe.‘Everyone is asking why England are not too successful in big tournaments. Ask what other big countries are doing at this time. They have their legs on the sofa and are watching English football.’ A more pressing concern for the Liverpool boss is Monday night’s game against Manchester United and Klopp is wary that Wayne Rooney, who scored the only goal when the sides met in the Premier League at Anfield in January, could bounce back from the troubles he has endured this season to haunt the hosts again.
‘I cannot think the same things about Wayne Rooney,’ said Klopp, when asked if he felt that England captain’s best days were behind him. ‘It is not allowed that I like players from Manchester United but he is 30 years old and he has had more than a decent career. ‘Anyone who thinks Jose Mourinho is blind is wrong. Sam Allardyce, Jose, Gareth Southgate. They all know about his quality. He is a goalscorer, he is always a threat when he is on the ball.
He is a world-class player and world-class players are always a threat.’ Klopp, who was on Friday named Manager of the Month for September, also scornfully questioned the credibility of Dutch fitness expert Raymond Verheijen, the former Wales assistant manager who has been heavily critical of the German.During his attack on the TV planners, Klopp referred to Verheijen as ‘The Dutch Guy’, and wasted no time in lambasting him.
Klopp and Verheijen have history. Verheijen claimed in July, during a series of tweets, that the German was asking his squad to do too much too soon as his methods ‘destroyed’ players. He went back on Twitter on to retaliate after Klopp’s remarks.‘Liverpool manager Klopp caused 20 hamstring injuries in 10 months but keeps blaming external factors for injuries,’ he claimed, adding: ‘The press conference by the Liverpool coach Klopp is a great lesson for all coaches. Never let ‘a Dutch Guy’ or anyone else get under your skin.’
Daily Mail