‘I was not in a good mood after the game, or when I went to bed or woke up’: Jurgen Klopp defends tetchy interview in which he hit back at questions over Liverpool’s attitude during 4-0 defeat at Manchester City
Jurgen Klopp has defended the bad-tempered interview he gave to Sky Sports in the wake of Liverpool’s humbling 4-0 defeat against Manchester City.
The Reds boss appeared irritable as he answered questions after watching his side lose their first game since being crowned champions.
Klopp claimed his side had showed a ‘brilliant attitude’ despite the result, but took issue with Sky’s reporter when the focus of his players was questioned again.
Jurgen Klopp has defended his mood after Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat against Manchester City
The Liverpool boss gave a tetchy interview to Sky Sports after watching his side get beaten
Liverpool equalled the record for heaviest defeat as Premier League champions at the Etihad
‘That’s the second time you ask about attitude,’ Klopp said during a tetchy exchange on the touchline at the Etihad.
‘If you want to lead this story that we are not focused in this game then do it, but I am pleased with the attitude of our team.’
Klopp was asked about his reaction during his press conference on Friday and defended his response, insisting the chat with Sky Sports came too soon for him to relax after the final whistle.
‘I was not in a good mood after the game,’ he said. ‘I was not in a good mood when I went to bed or when I woke up and then at Melwood I said “I’m in a really good mood”.
The defeat surpassed the 3-0 loss at Watford which had ended their Invincibles dream
It came after a stunning City performance in which they scored three times in 20 minutes
‘Why? Because we changed things. If you lose a game, you lose a game. You never take it easy but we’ve had a bit more time to think about it.
‘The problem with post-match interviews it that you have a minute go inside and then you have all the interviews.
‘This game we lost in the key moments. In these moments City was better than us.
‘We gave a penalty away, we conceded after a throw in, we left Joe [Gomez] alone in a situation that no player should be alone in against [Raheem] Sterling.
‘We were good apart from that – good situations but we didn’t finish them off.’
Phil Foden added a third right on half-time in a brilliant performance from the hosts
Raheem Sterling’s shot went in off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for an own goal in the second half
Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden scored to put City into a commanding lead at the break, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s own goal saw Liverpool fall to their heaviest defeat of the season.
Klopp continued: ‘Was it Sadio’s [Mane] big chance? We had more chances but we didn’t play the final pass.
‘This game we had more chances than when we won 3-1, but we gave four goals away so one thing is the feeling and one thing is the facts, both things are important and we will use both.’