Liverpool news: Steve Nicol slams Jurgen Klopp for decision vs Chelsea

Klopp made five changes from the Liverpool team that beat Southampton 3-0 seven days earlier.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were surprisingly dropped to the bench for the visit of Chelsea.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner were shock starters in midfield, with Daniel Sturridge starting up front.

Nicol could not understand why Jurgen Klopp did not field his strongest XI, especially with their recent record at home to the so-called ‘top six’.

“You can talk about why Liverpool in particular didn’t play their first team,” he said of the Chelsea draw on ESPN FC.

“I don’t get it. How can Firmino and Mane be on the bench? And how can you start Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain? 

“I think pretty much everyone knows Liverpool’s starting XI, but yet you’ve got four players who wouldn’t normally start. 

“It didn’t work out, Liverpool over the last couple of seasons have been fantastic against the so-called bigger teams at Anfield. 

“They’ve got after them, they’ve closed them down, they’ve pressed them high and they’ve tried to overrun them. 

“This absolutely was not, this was a safe team that I think he put out that would work hard. 

“It wasn’t until the second part of the second half that both sides actually somehow looked as if they wanted to go and win this game. 

“Why didn’t both sides start the game by trying to win it?”