“You’re not a special case because you do well” – Steve Nicol slams Klopp by telling him to take the Southampton job instead of Liverpool after his complaint
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has slammed Jurgen Klopp for his complaints regarding his side's fixture list. He said that the German was better off taking over the reins at Southampton to experience less congested fixtures.
The Reds' injury list is growing with every game. Their victory over Southampton on Tuesday, May 17, was their 61st encounter of the season and they have reached the final of every competition they have competed in.
Klopp has consistently complained about UEFA and the Premier League's scheduling. The Mirror reported that the German boss once again complained against the governing bodies as they faced Southampton just three days after their FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.
Liverpool kept their quadruple hopes alive by beating the Saints 2-1, despite Klopp making nine changes for the clash at St. Mary's.
However, Nicol wasn't having any of the complaints. The former Scotland defender even went as far as telling the German manager to take the Saints job if he didn't want the pressure to compete on all fronts.
Nicol told ESPN (as quoted by The Mirror):
"Jurgen, your next job, take the Southampton job and then you won't have to worry about complaining about fixtures."
"Come on. Does he really want to turn round and ask the FA to help Liverpool?"
"You'd hear every other man and his dog complaining that they're going out of their way. Look, if you're as good as they are and as successful as they are, you're going to have a heavy schedule."
Nicol added:
"He's saying nothing that successful teams' managers have not been saying since I was playing in the 80s."
"It was the exact same in the 80s. You're not a special case because you do well, you shouldn't expect anybody to look after you, so I don't know why you go complaining."
Jurgen Klopp describes Liverpool's fringe players as "Ferraris in the garage"
The Reds moved just a point behind leaders Manchester City following a 2-1 win at Southampton ahead of the Premier League's final gameweek.
After the game, Klopp heaped praise on the fringe players in his squad who shone on a rare opportunity to start, as he said per the Daily Mail:
"I'm so happy with the performance, it's quite touching. It's like, wow, these boys - it's like having Ferraris in the garage."
"You let them out and they do it like this. Harvey (Elliott), I’m not sure the last time he played, Curtis (Jones) no rhythm, he has only played from time to time, Takumi Minamino, it is a crime he is not playing more often. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did not even play and he is in outstanding shape."