Jurgen Klopp has launched a completely fair but scathing attack on the FA for some of their christmas scheduling.
Many of the Premier League sides are playing two games in three days – including Wolves – who face Manchester City tomorrow and then Liverpool on December 29th.
Klopp’s Reds have actually not done too badly out of the fixtures, playing Leicester tonight and then again in three days, before Sheffield United on January 2nd, but the German has boldly spoken in support of his rivals.
“It’s absolutely not OK,” Klopp told BBC Sport.
“And we still have it. None of the managers have a problem with matches on Boxing Day, but playing the 26th and 28th is a crime.
“We can say whatever we want and no-one is really interested but every year it is the same for the coaches involved in it.”
“There is no reason to give teams less than 48 hours to play another Premier League game,” Klopp added.
“Sports science doesn’t give you something to deal with it. The body needs a specific amount of time to go again. It’s easy. That’s science. But you ignore that completely.”
Klopp’s opinion of the English festive fixture list has been evident since he joined the Premier League four years ago.
But it’s not going to change overnight, and in fairness, there is now a winter break in which his players can recharge their batteries during February.
We’ve done brilliantly in December so far – winning every game apart from the EFL Cup tie with Aston Villa – in which we deployed the kids anyway.
But the big one is tonight against Leicester City – the team currently closest to us in the standings.