Jurgen Klopp finally lifted the lid on what Paul Tierney told him after the German remonstrated before the fourth official after Diogo Jota’s match-winning goal.
The official’s comments were carried on Twitter by Matt Addison during Jurgen Klopp’s pre-Fulham press conference.
🔴 "Paul Tierney came over to me, I didn't expect for a second a red card, and he said: 'For me, it's a red card but because of him (the 4th official) it's a yellow'. I opened the box which I didn't want to open."
— Matt Addison (@MattAddison97) May 2, 2023
It’s understood that there will be a reaction from the FA, with the 55-year-old’s comments adjudged by many to have questioned the integrity of the Englishman.
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In Klopp’s defence, it’s certainly worth pointing out that Tierney has history when it comes to bad calls in relation to the officiating of Liverpool games, with the failure to punish Harry Kane, in an encounter with Spurs in London back in December 2021, for a dangerous challenge on Andy Robertson often referenced.
Fans will remember, of course, that the Scot wasn’t quite so lucky when the tables turned, with the man in black handing the fullback his marching orders for a similarly dangerous tackle on Emerson Royal.
We must stress that this doesn’t excuse Klopp’s actions and any punishment dished out by the FA will be warranted.
However, we must likewise be able to question the quality of officiating and certainly patterns of poor officiating in this country, whilst also understanding the impact this can have on a manager’s behaviour.
