Klopp, Lampard, Mourinho try to influence the referees with penalty comments

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has accused rival officials of trying to influence referees after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp referred to Manchester United’s record of penalties following his team’s 1-0 loss to Southampton.

Klopp said after the game that Liverpool should have received two penalties and suggested that United was more likely to make the decisions.

Klopp is the last manager, after José Mourinho and Frank Lampard, to highlight the number of penalties awarded to Ole Gunnar Solskjaaer’s team.

– Stream FC daily on ESPN +
– Ogden: Carabao Cup victory can give Man Utd a springboard to success

“I can’t speak for other managers, why do they say things like this,” Solskjaer told a news conference Monday.

“I felt like it worked out last year in the FA Cup semi-final because Frank [Lampard] We talked about it and we had a penalty shot that we should have taken and we didn’t, so maybe it’s a way to influence the referees. I don’t know, but that doesn’t worry me. When our players are fouled, it’s a penalty. “

Klopp’s observation that United have had “more penalties in two years than I have in five and a half years” also prompted Solskjaer to refer to the famous “facts” of former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez against Sir Alex Ferguson. when the two teams were fighting for the title in 2009.

Statistics show that since Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford in December 2018, United have received 42 penalties in all competitions compared to 19 for Liverpool.

This season in the Premier League, United, tied on points with Liverpool at the top of the table with one game in hand, have received six penalties to Liverpool’s five, while Leicester won 10.

Sources have told ESPN that the FA will not take any action on Klopp’s comments.

“I don’t know how many penalties [Liverpool] “Solskjaer said.

“I don’t count how many penalties they have, so if they want to spend time worrying about when we get fouled in the area, I don’t spend time on that.”

United will be clear on top if they beat Burnley at Turf Moor on January 12, but first they will face two cup matches against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup (Wednesdays at 2.45 pm ET, live on ESPN +) and Watford in the FA Cup (Saturday at 3 pm ET, live on ESPN +).

Solskjaer is still struggling on four fronts heading into the second half of the season and, despite the transfer window opening on January 1, he said he wants to keep marginal players like Jesse Lingard to help navigate a Hectic schedule from now to May.

“This season will be about the roster and rotation and the right players playing at the right time,” added Solskjaer. “Say Jesse [Lingard]say players who have not played that much, now they should be prepared when they get the chance.

“You see Eric Bailly, who has come in and done brilliantly. He has had injuries and problems, but you have to train well and that’s the job that the coaches are doing on the training ground and the players are also working. .

“When you have an opportunity, you have to be prepared to take advantage of it.”