In an unusual Tlasen between the two, Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp
did not hesitate to respond to Sheffield United coach Chris Wilder,
after the latter accused him of being selfish.
Wilder had made the accusation against Klopp because of the Liverpool
coach’s request to adopt 5 substitutions in league matches instead of 3,
similar to what happens in major European leagues such as the
Spanish and Italian.
Wilder believes that the five changes are in the interest of big teams
such as defending champions, which have a large number of excellent
substitutes, unlike teams that do not have a strong reserve bench.
During the press conference that followed the match between
Liverpool and Brighton, which ended in a 1-1 draw, on Saturday,
Klopp responded to Wilder’s recent statements.
“If I had five substitutions today, I would have put in Kostas Tsimikas
instead of (Andy Robinson (during the Brighton match),”
Klopp said. “The goal is to save and rest Robinson. It’s all about
the players’ comfort and health.”
“Chris Wilder says I am selfish, but I think everything he says is
selfish,” he added.
Klopp stressed that the aim of adopting 5 substitutions is to preserve
the health of the players and spare them stress, and not for tactical reasons.
The “Premier League” allowed the teams to make 5 substitutions
during the remaining matches last season, after the return of the
competition, which was suspended due to the outbreak of the Corona
pandemic and the decline in players’ fitness.
But the organizers decided to return to only the three substitutions
this season, unlike the rest of the European leagues, which continued
to use 5 substitutions, which angered some of the major clubs
that suffer from a crowded football schedule.
