Burnley manager Sean Dyche hits back at 'wrestling' comments made by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp spoke of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood when expressing unhappiness over challenges made during Liverpool's win over Burnley; Sean Dyche: "My disappointment is he is name-checking players - there is absolutely no need to do that."
Tuesday 24 August 2021 06:36, UK
Sean Dyche has criticised Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for singling out individual players when complaining about Burnley's challenges after Saturday's 2-0 win over the Clarets.
Klopp mentioned Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood as he expressed his unhappiness at some of the challenges made in the match and revealed his concerns at the idea of referees letting games flow more.
After Liverpool's win over Burnley, the German called on officials to do more to protect players, suggesting some Premier League rule changes are more suited to "wrestling".
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Klopp said he was "not 100 per cent sure if we are really going in the right direction with these kind of decisions."
Asked on Monday for his response to Klopp's comments, Burnley manager Dyche told a press conference: "My main disappointment actually is not a view of the game - I think every manager, every coach, every pundit, every fan has a view of the game.
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"My disappointment is he is name-checking players - there is absolutely no need to do that.
"We have professional players who have worked very, very hard in their careers to get to where they have got to. The implication of them being untoward in some of their challenges I think is wrong, I think it's inappropriate."
Dyche added: "My overview would be, I'm not worried about protection of players, because I think players get protected to a level that is unbelievable in my history of the game - and rightly so in some cases, I must say.
"My worry is that he is questioning that a team shouldn't do everything they can to win a game within the laws - which we clearly did, because there wasn't a single card."
On Klopp's suggestion that fans should "watch wrestling if you like these kind of things", Dyche said: "That's up to him. His comments are what they are. That's not up to me. (People can) use whatever words they wish to describe whatever they wish, and see fit to do so."
The Premier League's refereeing chief, Mike Riley, said there would be a move towards "letting the game flow" and not penalising "trivial offences" in 2021/22.
Armstrong: Football is a contact sport
Southampton also came under criticism at the weekend after their 1-1 draw with Manchester United at St Mary's.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested after the game that recent Premier League rule changes must not turn football into rugby, alluding to Southampton's goal but striker Adam Armstrong refuted those claims.
"I think that's what football is all about. Its a contact sport, so you've just got to keep going when you come up against physical teams and it's how you deal with it," Armstrong told Sky Sports News.
