Jürgen Klopp has said Gary Neville was right to apologise for wanting Hannibal Mejbri to kick Liverpool players during Manchester United’s chastening defeat at Anfield, insisting: “You cannot sort your own problems by hurting opposition players.”
Neville admitted he “erred on the slightly unprofessional side of commentary” when saying he was proud of the 19-year-old, an 84th-minute substitute in Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat, for fouling Jordan Henderson and Naby Keïta in quick succession, earning a booking for the former and a warning for the latter. The Liverpool manager believes that crossed a line.
“He had to apologise for that, rightly so,” said Klopp. “I understand where he is coming from. Obviously you want to see some aggression, but there is a difference between aggression and kicking players. Aggression in football means you are ready to hurt yourself, not the other one. I don’t blame the kid, he came on and the game was a bit quick, and he was a bit late here and there. It’s all good.
“Aggression in football is absolutely fine but you cannot sort your own problems by hurting the opposition players, that is what I have never understood. Of course things can happen in football, it is a high-speed game, but not these kind of things where you don’t care about another colleague who wants to play again in a few days time as well.”
Klopp claimed his call for players to “stay respectful” was not a dig at Everton, who visit Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool having lost Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcântara to serious injury at Goodison Park last season. He said: “All of a sudden it will be like: ‘Klopp wants Everton to do this.’ No I don’t. We are ready for each kind of challenge, just keep it within the big frame of rules and everything will be fine. I really wish them the best and that they shall stay in the league, but it’s a normal game, both teams want three points; let’s see who gets it.”
