David Moyes has issued a stern defence of Jurgen Klopp after his touchline outburst copped major criticism and earned him an FA charge.
The Liverpool boss lamented the assistant referee during his side's win over Manchester City. He felt Mohamed Salah should've been given a free-kick late in the game and let out his frustration at the official on the touchline before Anthony Taylor sent him off.
Klopp, who has since been charged by the FA and has until Friday to respond, conceded that he overstepped the mark. Criticism has come in from refereeing bodies, who have lamented the example set by the German. Klopp admits he "went over the top" and warranted his dismissal.
Moyes though has defended his managerial colleague, arguing that emotion can get the better of anyone. The West Ham boss also cited how Klopp's frustration was caused by a wrong refereeing decision. He said: "Part of this job is you want to play against the best, compete against them and Jurgen is up there with them all.
"His actions are part of it, we are really het up and if you were in that position you would probably feel the same. We have all got great respect for referees and the work they have to do, I hope in their way they will understand that, for 90 minutes and a bit longer we might lose our heads a little bit.
"For 90 minutes or so it becomes a really emotional game, sometimes you can change your character from what your true character is. But I think if we stood there and did nothing, I think our supporters, the public, you (the media), would probably be questioning why not? I think if you look at the incident Jurgen got angry about, he was correct, wasn’t he?"
Should Klopp be banned for his outburst? Let us know in the comments below!
Klopp has been criticised by bodies who protect referees. They have raised concerns over the examples set by top flight managers amid ongoing abuse directed at officials at grassroots level. It came as The Merseyside Youth Football League (MYFL) cancelled all games that were set to be played last weekend to raise awareness about the abuse referees
Frank Lampard has also weighed in on the debate, confessing that mangers must set the example, but rebuffing suggestions that abuse lower down the pyramid is connected to their behaviour.
He said: "We have a responsibility but there's also a microscope where we're in highly-pressured jobs. It's easy for me to sit here in a calm moment. Klopp came out and apologised after. If you're trying to draw the line from that to Sunday League and attacking the referee, that's a personal thing. I don't see it."
