- Garth Crooks lays into Jurgen Klopp during his BBC Team of the Week piece
- The section he chooses for the onslaught is supposed to praise Roberto Firmino
- Chris Hughton didn’t shake Klopp’s hand for the German’s overzealous celebrations
- SEE MORE: Firmino was ‘annoying’ rather than ‘world-class’ v Brighton – Klopp
During Garth Crooks’ 241 word write-up on Roberto Firmino’s performance against Brighton, he makes ONE point about Liverpool’s no.9 – that he took advantage of Coutinho and Mo Salah’s top work around him to score two goals…
That’s it. Crooks spent the rest of the three paragraphs of Firmino’s Team of the Week section slagging off Jurgen Klopp.
Here’s the whole of Crooks’ section on Bobby…
“I expected Brighton to lose against Liverpool, but not so comprehensively. I’m not sure this will be any consolation for the Seagulls, but they will not be facing Coutinho, Mohamed Salah or Roberto Firmino every week. It was a terrific performance by the Merseysiders, and Firmino took complete advantage of the exhilarating performances of Coutinho and Salah – both of whom looked unplayable at times.
“However, losing 5-1 is no fun, especially when Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is fist-pumping every goal and celebrating with his staff like it’s the final of the Champions League. I understand the importance of winning, but this was Brighton. What I do take exception to is any manager being kept waiting to shake hands once a game has finished, while his opposite number finishes hugging and kissing his players and staff in celebration of their victory. I sense this was exactly what happened after the final whistle, and why Chris Hughton tore a strip off Klopp immediately after the game and quite rightly.
“What is happening to the traditions of this great game? Has winning and money destroyed everything we hold dear? The convention is we shake hands immediately after a game because it brings closure to the occasion, and it starts with the managers. The game’s conventions are bigger than any manager or player, and if either can’t be bothered to perform the duty, I suggest they find another profession that can afford their bad manners.”
Klopp & Hughton recreating Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3 😂 #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/Z2HYKy0ifa
— Ben Rogers (@BenRogers223) December 2, 2017
The words ‘sore’ and ‘loser’ come to mind when analysing Chris Hughton’s refusal to shake Klopp’s hand.
Liverpool’s manager has every right to celebrate goals as passionately as he likes on the touchline – just as Hughton would if his side played the kind of football Liverpool do.
For Crooks to spend so much criticising Klopp, based on hearsay and a 7-second clip on Match of the Day, is ludicrous.
Managers are slammed for not having enough personality and being robots, but when someone like Klopp comes along who wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s told he’s doing it wrong as well?
Absolute rubbish. Never change, Jurgen.