Jurgen Klopp pointed to Ashley Young’s red card as having an influence on Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Everton but also admitted that Ibrahima Konate could have also joined the Englishman in being handed his marching orders.
The Frenchman rather strangely avoided seeing red despite appearing to tug back Blues attacker Beto in the second half of action; a moment of rashness that earned the centre-back a swift substitution.
“I liked a lot of moments and then the red card was pretty influential in the game. I wanted us to be calm and ignore that we were one man up,” the 56-year-told BBC MOTD (via BBC Sport).
“It is difficult in the stands because it’s like now you have to create with each possession and it took a while until we got chances.
“And then the penalty. I saw it back and it is a clear penalty. Ibrahima, could have gone, yes. It could have happened obviously and then we took him off and from that moment we were solid and compact.”
It’s an admission that sees the German tactician agree with BBC Radio 5 Live pundit (via BBC Sport) Stephen Warnock’s post-game verdict on the incident in question: “That non sending off for Konate will be the talking point from this game, Liverpool got lucky with that one.
“Would it have changed the game? We don’t know, it is all hypothetical.
“These games can go either way, I think everyone was expecting a potential banana skin for Liverpool. Everton defended well and were unlucky with that decision in particular.”
In a similar, though far from identical, vein of thought in response to what transpired against Tottenham back in the end of September.
It’s entirely possible that Konate’s potential sending-off would have changed the nature of the game for the hosts, perhaps inspiring too much in the way of caution at a critical juncture in the tie.
We’ll never know for sure, though you couldn’t blame our fellow fans for pointing out that Liverpool had been dominant throughout the vast majority of the derby.
A fair result, really, on the balance of play, though sadly one that will invite further post-match questions over the standard of officiating on show.
#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️