Liverpool's manager refuses to concede defeat, insisting that Manchester United's goal should not have stood! Carragher criticizes the trend of long balls

Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Premier League derby is now days behind, yet Liverpool's manager Klopp remains unwilling to accept the result. He is troubled by the referee's failure to halt play after McAllister was injured in the head before the opening goal and insists his team would never fake injuries to gain an edge.

This match led to Liverpool's fourth straight loss, and Klopp now faces the threat of being sacked. His team conceded a goal just over a minute into the game. Before Manchester United scored, McAllister was contesting a header with Mbemo when teammate Van Dijk accidentally elbowed him in the back of the head while clearing the ball with a header.

McAllister fell to the ground holding his head, while Mbemo quickly got up and then scored from a tight angle after receiving a pass from Amad Diallo, giving Manchester United a 1-0 lead. Klopp has questioned the legitimacy of this goal multiple times, as referees usually stop the game when a player suffers a head injury.

Klopp claimed the referee should have understood that Liverpool would never fake a head injury because they "have always been a team that competes fairly." The Dutchman said, "I've said many times, and I hope not just to you but to everyone, that we are not the kind of team to deliberately pretend to be injured on the hand to disrupt the opponent’s counterattack. Liverpool wouldn’t do that."

He added, "We never use rough physical tactics. We have always been a team that plays with fair spirit. So if a player goes down, you want everyone to say, 'That’s Liverpool, they don’t fake injuries, so stop the game quickly to treat him.' But that still can’t be an excuse for us losing this match."

McAllister was indeed not faking; he wore head protection throughout the rest of the game until he was substituted in the 62nd minute. However, the Premier League officials explained that referee Michael Oliver did not see McAllister’s head injury, and Manchester United scored just five seconds later, making it an accidental incident. Since there was no foul, the VAR could not intervene.

The 47-year-old Klopp also criticized Manchester United’s defensive block and long-ball tactics after the match. Opta data shows Manchester United has made the most long passes in the Premier League this season, with 466, ranking first in the league, two more than Wolves. In contrast, Liverpool made 366 long passes, placing 14th, while Guardiola’s Manchester City had the fewest with 307.

Amos had already stated before the match that this tactic would be used because Manchester United’s forward players are suited to contesting second balls after long passes. New goalkeeper Sena Ramses was particularly determined; he didn’t mind his low success rate for long passes. Against Liverpool, his pass success rate was only 19.5%, the lowest on the pitch, with 9 successful passes out of 46. In his debut against Sunderland, Ramses had 17 successful passes out of 44.

In fact, long-ball attacks have become very common among Premier League teams this season. Liverpool legend Carragher also complained about this "retro" trend. This season, there are on average 3.85 long passes per game, more than double last season’s 1.52, and much higher than the 1.47 in the 2023/24 season.

“I understand why weaker teams choose long passes because you have to get the ball into the opponent’s box to have a chance to score. I used to like that style too, and I wonder if Liverpool and Manchester City can withstand the pressure,” Carragher said. “But this season disappoints me because every team is doing it. It’s ridiculous. Even some top teams play this way now. It seems long balls are no longer shameful, at least not as embarrassing as before.”

However, Manchester United legend Roy Keane criticized Liverpool, saying that their defenders, led by captain Van Dijk, should seriously reflect on their defensive performance.

“I remember a few years ago, Van Dijk said Manchester United parked the bus at Anfield and criticized them. But Manchester United has scored two goals consistently over the years, including last season. As a center-back, you should look in the mirror and reflect on yourself. Liverpool complains about the incident before the first goal, I applaud Manchester United for that, but I question Van Dijk — did he sprint back immediately to defend?”

Besides Liverpool’s defensive issues, their attacking efficiency was also low. Although Jota scored once, he hit the post three times and missed an open goal once out of four other chances.

Liverpool’s star player Salah missed a direct shot facing Manchester United goalkeeper Sena Ramses. Interestingly, before he struck the ball, teammate Curtis Jones prematurely raised his arm in celebration, which turned into a joke. Watching the ball fly over the stands, Jones put his hands on his head in disbelief.