"It is difficult to just switch it off" - Pundit backs Jurgen Klopp after red card during Liverpool vs Manchester City
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Alan Hutton has told Football Insider that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's emotions were behind his sending-off against Manchester City on October 16.
The Reds coach was given his marching orders in the 85th minute as tensions boiled over for the German.
Klopp was furious that referee Anthony Taylor hadn't awarded Liverpool a free-kick when Mohamed Salah went down under the challenge of Bernardo Silva.
He was seen berating the referee's assistant over the incident and stormed down the tunnel following his sending-off.
Klopp received an FA charge on October 18 with a breach of rule E3, which claims his behavior to have been "comments which are improper, which bring the game into disrepute, which are threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting".
However, Hutton has defended Klopp, claiming that the Anfield boss let emotions get the better of him:
"I think you have to take everything with context."
He continued,
"These games are built up so high. Everything that surrounds them, the week running up to it. The emotion is there, the atmosphere, they are going at each other for the full 90-plus minutes."
Klopp's tirade at the assistant came in the dying embers of a tense affair with Liverpool hanging on to a 1-0 lead.
City counter-attacked off the back of the incident and Hutton believes that Klopp's outrage was in the heat of the moment:
"I can totally understand why he acted the way he did. He came out after and said it was a red card and he apologised for it. It is an emotional sport and it obviously just got a grip of him at the point in time."
The Reds did end up crucially beating City 1-0 which in turn ended Pep Guardiola's side's unbeaten start to the season.
Klopp's men now sit eighth in the league, with three wins, four draws and two defeats in nine fixtures.
Klopp on his red card: "In the end probably deserved. The situation, you cannot not whistle in that situation. I dont know what Mo Salah has to do to get a free kick. So many situations." [Sky] https://t.co/vWcIsHxadW
Liverpool manager Klopp needs to work on his behavior
Klopp is renowned for his passion for the game, but sometimes he gets too wrapped up in matters that see his touchline behavior spiral out of control.
The Liverpool boss can be hot-headed at times which causes issues for officials who have to deal with angry outbursts from the coach.
How the FA punish Klopp will be a good indicator of just how far they believe the German has gone on this occasion.
BREAKING: Jurgen Klopp has been charged by the FA for his behaviour during Liverpool's game against Manchester City on Sunday. https://t.co/Ol3UKnFCdp
There is no disputing that he is one of the greatest managers in European football but his tirades at officials are something that should be put to an end.
Klopp has until Friday (October 21) to respond to the FA's charge.