Everyone loves Jurgen Klopp. The smile, the charm and the exciting playing style of his teams have long made it hard for us not to. But now with Liverpool unbeaten in the league and strolling to the title, he’s also hugely admired for his success. So it must be a shock to suddenly receive criticism.
Many have rebuked him for his refusal to play first team players in the FA Cup replay match against Shrewsbury on 4 or 5 February. Others, such as Rio Ferdinand, understand his desire to rest players for the match, but are disappointed by the fact that the Liverpool manager himself will not be in the dugout. Instead, in his place will be Neil Critchley, the under-23s coach.
For years it has been acknowledged that the Premier League’s lack of winter break leads to more injuries, lowers the quality of football and harms England’s chances of success at major tournaments. Finally, last year it was decided that Premier League clubs would move closer to their European counterparts and implement a winter break in 2020. It’s a move Klopp has strongly campaigned for since he arrived in England. So you can understand his, and others’ frustration, that the winter break is only preserved if you don’t have FA Cup fixtures to play. This erodes the benefits the break brings and gives an advantage to clubs whose players are able to gain an extended break.
By taking a stand, Klopp has been accused of disrespecting the FA Cup. Yet he knows how much the supporters would love to lift a trophy they haven’t won since 2006. Rather, it is for the FA to acknowledge they can’t try to squeeze fixtures in after agreeing to introduce a winter break to the schedule.
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