Liverpool boss Klopp not happy with '˜aggressive' Burnley tackling
The England defender was stretchered off in the first half of Wednesday night’s game, which the Reds won 3-1, after what was a perfectly-timed challenge from Clarets skipper Ben Mee.
There could be no blame apportioned to Mee, taking the ball cleanly, with no foul given, with Gomez’ injury an unfortunate one.
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Hide AdBut in the post-match press conference, Klopp vented his frustration at not just that challenge, but a number of Burnley tackles he felt were pushing the boundaries.
The German said: “When players are sliding in like that it can get dangerous, because of the speed, and somebody has to say stop with these tackles.
“I said after the first challenge, I don’t know who did it, sliding tackle from six or seven yards, getting the ball, everybody likes it, I said to the ref ‘it’s no foul but please tell them you cannot do that’.
“But with six or seven yards and then (slide), these times are over. They are over.
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Hide Ad“Nobody can judge that (type of tackle). You get the ball, nice, but it’s like bowling because you get the player as well.
“It happened four or five times, everybody likes it, but Joe is injured, and probably not only a little bit.
“We don’t know in the moment, we sent him home so we have to see, but it’s his ankle yes.”
Burnley collected only one booking, after substitute Matej Vydra caught Naby Keita late on, and Klopp didn’t go as far as openly criticising Burnley’s approach to the game, but felt referee Stuart Attwell could have clamped down on their physicality at times: “Burnley wanted to be aggressive. Aggression is a part of football. You try something, and you need someone to say ‘be careful’. There were a lot of situations, challenges.
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Hide Ad“There was nothing to say ‘wow, too much’, they were normal challenges.
“We all want to win football games, and there are different ways of doing it.”
Klopp and Sean Dyche had a somewhat spiky exchange at the final whistle, and, asked about it afterwards, Dyche merely said: “I just said ‘well done’.
But, before Klopp’s comments, Dyche had spoken about his side’s commitment in the tackle, and said: “I thought there were some excellent challenges.
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Hide Ad“When you think of real challenges, some of the timing of them were superb.
“And that’s part of that front foot mentality - you’ve got to go and win the ball, and go and challenge against these boys, put a marker on the game, not only with good tackles, but with good play.
“And I thought we were effective in the way we mixed it – not enough - you have to win a game - but we’ve got to get back to being us, and get back to the consistency of being us.
“The shape was good, the energy, endeavour, and also the will to win.
“And that was there all the way to the last breath.”