This is football we want to watch but its just too dangerous, asserts Jurgen Klopp
In light of the new rule tweaks in the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp believes that while the fans want to watch a flowing game of football, things have become dangerous. The Liverpool boss also added that he is not sure if the referees are going in the right direction with the new changes.
Before the start of the 2021/22 season, clubs were informed by the Premier League that officials and referees would be taking a more lenient look at the game with the use of VAR set to be dialled back. That has been the case over the first two weekends of the new season with the league looking to allow the game to flow and allow physical contact to take place without judging them as fouls.
However, that has also seen a few managers and players unhappy at the way the games have been refereed so far with there no yellow cards at Liverpool’s clash against Burnley. It saw Jurgen Klopp admit that in his opinion, he doesn’t believe that the officials “are going in the right direction with these decisions”. The Liverpool boss further added that while the managers and fans want the game to flow, things have become “too dangerous”.
"We always had to be ready for a proper fight and we were today. You saw these challenges with Barnes and Wood and Virgil [van Dijk] and Joel . I'm not 100% if officials are going in the right direction with these decisions,” Klopp said, reported the BBC.
"It's like we're going 10 to 15 years backwards. The rules are like they are, but you cannot defend these situations. That’s how it makes the game really tricky. I don’t think it’s right, but I cannot decide these things. I heard about leaving the game flow, but now we have these situations.
"The second goal from Brentford [against Arsenal on the opening day] must be a foul – you cannot clip the arm of the goalkeeper and say, ‘that’s football’. I think maybe we have to think about it a second or a third time.
"The message now is let the game flow, but nobody exactly knows what that means. This is the football we want to see but it's just too dangerous. I like decisions that favour the offensive team, that’s fine. But we have to stick to protecting the players. We cannot deny that. If you like that sort of thing, watch wrestling,” he added.