We’re big fans of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but it’s really admirable how he’s managed Jurgen Klopp’s public outburst on Manchester United penalties in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been labelled a ‘hypocrite’ by former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg for suggesting that United players are more likely to dive than Liverpool’s. Either that, or he’s a conspiracy theorist who reckons Premier League officials are going all out to give United favoured treatment during matches.
🗣 "I hear now that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in five and a half years"
Safe to say Jurgen Klopp was not happy with not being awarded a penalty against Southampton pic.twitter.com/mO4CFTqOAw
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 5, 2021
Pictures above courtesy of Sky Sports:
Solskjaer was asked if he was concerned over Klopp’s comments about officials — because it’s blatant mind-games from the Liverpool manager. Instead of playing into the German’s hands and sounding equally daft, like a lot of conspiracy theorists these days, the United manager issued a mature response at his press conference this afternoon.
The bottom line is Solskjaer isn’t fussed about such matters concerning Liverpool. Klopp and his mouthpieces in the media are trying to push a narrative in the media that United do their utmost to pull wool over referee’s eyes.
That’s a horrible accusation to make, and without actual evidence Klopp risks sounding like a mad man.
Solskjaer was asked about Klopp raising a point about United’s penalties and said (via MEN): “I don’t think it is my place to give the officials any advice.
“They are good at what they are doing and it is not something I think about at all.
“I have got a lot of respect for Jurgen and have not experienced that at all.”
Mature from the United boss.
Read more: Paul Pogba accepts Manchester United are not at Liverpool’s level yet
Clattenburg has stated the penalties he gave to Liverpool wouldn’t have been given had Fergie been in charge. It was easy to give them at it was Moyes. That’s ok for a former ref to acknowledge bias is it