Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp again brings Burnley into Premier League five subs row

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has again dragged Burnley into the row over whether the Premier League should revert to five subs.
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The German, along with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel, has called for the Premier League to come back in line with the rest of European football, and UEFA competitions, by making five changes available – which was abandoned in the English top flight after Project Restart in 2020.

Clarets boss Sean Dyche can see both sides of the story, but ultimately feels the change would benefit the elite clubs and their deeper squads packed with international talent.

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And Klopp, speaking ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest this weekend, reiterated: "I didn't open it now, but I can't stop thinking about it.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: (THE SUN OUT.THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool at the end of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: (THE SUN OUT.THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool at the end of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: (THE SUN OUT.THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool at the end of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"Five subs is essential. I think Scotland plans six friendly games in the summer. Not all of them are for the purpose that if you go to the World Cup then you are better prepared, it is for money reasons and I understand that.

"England has four games in a summer where it is the first time in ages where there is no tournament so what do we do? Oh good we put in some games.

"We speak about how can we rest players and getting through a season, but we are not allowed to accept that top class players are constantly playing, we just accept they will get injured more than other people. It makes really no sense.

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"Nobody else will stop putting more games in because it is the money, maybe nothing else to do for some FAs.

"It is the first time when these players would have a summer break and after that a normal season with a World Cup in the middle of it. What! How do you think these boys will get through this?

"You have to recover and rest every second you can do so. It is really tough for the boys, not just us but others as well.

"My first year the team had 63 games in 2015-16. No international games involved in that, just club.

"This year it will not be much less but it is tough.

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"We have to think about how we can keep these world class players (fresh).

"Sorry to say but during the international break I don't know how many Burnley players on international duty, I don't know. That is the difference but we let other people make the decisions for the top class players.

"We have to do that (five subs). It is not for an advantage, it is a necessity."

As Dyche said in November 2020: “For the big clubs who play lots of games, of course it’s useful.

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”It gives them the ability to use players who are fresher and more ready, but of course it does favour the big clubs because if you are one of the superpowers they probably carry 20-plus international footballers, so they can use them more regularly.

”It will, in my opinion, help them over a season.

”As we’ve seen, we carry a small squad, we can’t afford the same quality as the big teams, and if you get injuries it becomes very difficult.”