Jurgen Klopp hits out at 'crazy' scheduling as Liverpool keep up top four fight

Jurgen Klopp branded the Premier League “crazy” for their handling of Manchester United’s fixture congestion - which could kill off Liverpool’s distant hopes of a top-four finish

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp greets Southampton's Jan Bednarek after the final whistle

Liverpool 2 Southampton 0

Jurgen Klopp branded the Premier League “crazy” for their handling of Manchester United’s fixture congestion and a decision that could, once and for all, kill off Liverpool’s distant hopes of a top-four finish.

While the Liverpool manager sympathises with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s predicament, and his vow to field weakened line-ups during a span of four games in a little over seven days, Klopp is convinced of one thing.

When United take on Liverpool in their rearranged fixture at Old Trafford on Thursday, Solskjaer will only be thinking of naming his strongest possible team.

By then, United will have hosted Leicester — the faltering fourth-placed team in the chase for Champions League football and the only one Liverpool can realistically hope to catch — 48 hours earlier.

A sub-strength United line-up against Brendan Rodgers’ side could mean a Leicester victory that would leave Liverpool, currently six points in arrears but with a game in hand, needing a mathematical miracle to catch the Foxes.

It is a situation that Klopp blames, fairly and squarely, upon the Premier League.

“I think everybody is 100% sure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer respects the Premier League 100%, but the situation is now like it is — and I really think it’s crazy what we did with that,” said Klopp.

“I know there were not proper solutions, but I think there could be a better situation than that, I am pretty sure.

“United has a weekend off after that or something like that? So, three games in five days but then a weekend off, so it looks like there could have been a window where we could have done something slightly different.

But it is a decision and I understand that he doesn’t like that, definitely. We will see what we make of that.

“We have a tough programme ourselves because of that because now we play the last four games in a very short period of time. That’s how it is and we will see what we can make.”

The combustible demonstration that forced the postponement of last weekend’s meeting between United and Liverpool has also had an impact on Klopp’s end-of-season scheduling.

The rearranged visit to Old Trafford is followed by three games — at West Brom and Burnley, and at home to Crystal Palace in front of supporters — all of which look eminently winnable. With Klopp conceding his side probably need four wins from those games to catch Leicester, the trip to Old Trafford is comfortably the most daunting game remaining — and one from which Klopp expects no favours.

“I think we would have played the strongest United team possible on the original date, so that’s what we expect. Nothing else,” he said.

“If Man United is doing it like that, we cannot change that. I think Man United has only just good players. If I think about the players they could play, they have a really strong side available — pretty good.

“They might be young but they are good. I expect a strong team against us — and what they do in other games, we obviously have no influence.”

Liverpool made hard work of finishing off Southampton despite an excellent early finish from Sadio Mane. Thiago Alcantara, with his first goal for the club, added a second in the final minute, underscoring Klopp’s claims, pre-match, that Liverpool will not see the best of him until next season after his debut year was ruined by suffering from Covid and injury.

“Not the first time obviously, but he played really well,” said Klopp. “He looked really good in pretty much all departments, helped us a lot with his passing game, played top passes, to be honest, was defensively in there.

“So that’s all really good and really important. So he had a lot of good situations but the most important was when he finished, when he scored that goal. I’m really pleased for him.”

Despite a season that has wavered from the mediocre down to the simply bad, with only momentary glimpses of the majesty of the previous three campaigns, Klopp and Liverpool are still in the hunt for a top-four finish which, in context, would represent a triumph.

Leicester, theoretically, have the much tougher run-in — games with United, Chelsea, and Tottenham, as well as an FA Cup final against Thomas Tuchel’s team next weekend — while West Ham are entering unchartered territory this late in a season.

Regardless, Klopp is aware it will require a large slice of luck, as well as four wins, for his team to rescue their season. “Keeping our fingers crossed? I’m not sure if that helps!” he laughed. “We have to win football games — and if we win all four it could be enough.

“I didn’t really think it through, to be honest, but winning four games is pretty much the only chance we have, so that’s what we should try. It will be difficult but we will try it anyway.”

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 8, Phillips 7, R Williams 7, Robertson 6; Thiago 7, Fabinho 6, Wijnaldum 7; Salah 7 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 87), Jota 6 (Firmino 79, 6), Mane 7 (Jones 90).

Subs not used: Adrian, Tsimikas, Shaqiri, Woodburn, N Williams, Koumetio.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Forster 7; Walker-Peters 7, Bednarek 6, Vestergaard 6, Stephens 7; Walcott 6 (Diallo 65, 6), Ward-Prowse 7, Armstrong 5, Redmond 6; Adams 6 (Djenepo 78, 6), Tella 5 (Obafemi 65, 6).

Subs not used: McCarthy, Salisu, Ramsay, N’Lundulu, Ferry, Jankewitz.

Referee: K Friend 7.