Liverpool’s draw against Manchester United on Sunday has been seen as a big missed opportunity by the Reds.
Although it was possibly the hardest fixture remaining of their Premier League season, failure to get a win could yet prove fatal.
It wasn’t just the result which stuck in the craw of Liverpool fans either. The performance was virtually identical to the painful FA Cup defeat they suffered only three weeks before.
As Jurgen Klopp said after the game, the Reds have perhaps never been quite so dominant during games against their arch-rivals, especially away from Anfield. And yet, they failed to win either match.
Given the missed chances they were guilty of during the game, some have laid the blame for the draw firmly at the feet of the players on the pitch. However, one pundit has now suggested that Klopp must shoulder a portion of the culpability, too.
Jurgen Klopp questioned for team selection
In some respects, there wasn’t a great deal Klopp could do about the line-up on Sunday. Injuries are still forcing his hand a little.
Nevertheless, we did argue before the game that Curtis Jones should be set for a first start since February. Jurgen disagreed, although perhaps had Jones began the game things might have ended differently.
Another who surely should have started is centre-back Ibrahima Konate. Although he’s only just returned from injury himself, Konate had to play at Old Trafford.
That’s the view of Peterborough United owner and Liverpool fan Darragh MacAnthony anyway. Speaking on his The Hard Truth podcast, MacAnthony suggested that Konate should have started even if he wasn’t totally fit.
“My biggest question mark is if Konate is fit for the bench why is he not fit for the strongest 11?” the Irishman queried. “I’m Jurgen Klopp’s biggest defender, I said without him we wouldn’t be top four, never mind competing for a title, but you have got to play your best players.
“I am watching Konate go abroad and play for France and then he comes back and he’s on the bench. We all knew he was slightly made of glass when they signed him, it was the one question mark over him, and unfortunately he never plays 50 games a season. He was a little like muscle injuries, but if he was on the bench at Old Trafford, and Quansah has had a great season, but you have to play your best players.”
Is Ibrahima Konate fit for Thursday
After playing against Sheffield United on Thursday, we’d assumed that Konate would go again against United. The weekend game was clearly the bigger of the two. If there were any doubt, he’d have been saved for Old Trafford.
However, it should be remembered that the Frenchman was on the wrong end of a shocking challenge from William Osula during the win over the Blades. It’s something of a miracle he wasn’t seriously injured.
Having played on and completed the 90 minutes, it looked like Konate had escaped without a knock. But he clearly hadn’t. As a result, Klopp must have just felt he had no chance of playing against United.
As MacAnthony points out though, Ibou was fit enough for the bench. As a result, unless we hear otherwise, we’d expect him to be fit for Thursday’s visit of Atalanta.