Former Liverpool legend Steven McManaman has brazenly defended Jurgen Klopp’s touchline antics, insisting Anfield fans want the German to continue to be ‘passionate’.
The 50-year-old who spent nine years at Liverpool, winning the FA Cup and League Cup, maintains a close relationship with his former club and backed Klopp to behave himself in the dugout following his sending off against Man City on Sunday.
The Liverpool chief is yet to respond to a charge of improper conduct from the FA and has been asked to submit a statement to the regulatory body outlining his involvement in the incident that saw him dismissed from the technical area.
Jurgen Klopp towered over the official to make his feelings clear as he was urged to calm down
Klopp (left) clashed with City boss Pep Guardiola (right) and officials throughout the game
The Liverpool boss has been criticised for his pitch-side behaviour in home win over Man City
The aftermath of that match has seen Klopp’s pitch-side behaviour thrust into the spotlight.
However, McManaman insisted there ‘isn’t really a problem’ after the 55-year-old was shown the first red card of his Liverpool career. Speaking as a pundit on Amazon Prime Video prior to Tuesday’s visit of West Ham, McManaman said:
‘I think the incident himself he knows he was wrong and apologised for it, I want my manager to be passionate and Klopp has been at this club six and a half years now and you can count on one hand when he has overstepped the mark.
‘You understand why he reacted like that to a foul but he was wrong, he said he was wrong and we wait the outcome of the charge.
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Liverpool legend Steve McManaman has defended Klopp’s ‘overall behaviour’ as manager
Klopp went running down the touchline after Mohamed Salah was not awarded a free-kick
‘I don’t think there is a problem at all really. There is a problem with that incident [v City] but I don’t think there is a problem with his behaviour overall really,’ said McManaman.
Klopp has apologised for his sideline antics that saw him shown the first red card of his Liverpool tenure, but now faces a minimum one-game ban that could possibly be upgraded if the FA decide a lengthier punishment is needed.
The Premier League and Champions League winning manager said:
McManaman admitted Klopp rarely oversteps the mark in the Liverpool technical area
‘It was my fault but it was not that it was a boring 0-0 and I stood there and went bonkers,’ said Klopp.
‘There is no excuse, I don’t want an excuse, it happened and it was obvious as everyone saw it. That he gave me a red card is absolutely OK. Send me away, fine.
‘I know about our role in public and how difficult it is to be a ref. I am a ref five times a week in training and you never get it right.
‘In the end we are all human beings. For 99 minutes in this case it was pretty intense and always being the perfect version of yourself is actually not possible and in these moments more difficult,’ he said.