Sunday 22 April 2018 09:06, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was infuriated with both the referee and the pitch after his side's 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, but was the German right to complain?
The visitors had appeared to be cruising towards a 2-0 win at the Hawthorns after goals either side of half-time from Danny Ings and Mohamed Salah.
However, West Brom scored twice in the final 11 minutes through Jake Livermore and Salomon Rondon to dent Liverpool's top-four hopes, with Klopp furious at the full-time whistle.
Klopp was firstly unhappy with the state of the playing surface, claiming it was too dry to aid his team's passing game and so should have been watered at half-time.
Steve McMahon disagreed, though, saying it was not the hosts' responsibility to make their pitch more suitable for the opposition.
"The point about the pitch, first of all, it is not West Brom's priority the pitch," said the former Liverpool midfielder.
There is no rule or law to say you have to make the pitch perfect for Liverpool
"It is not in the rules that they should water the pitch, or overwater the pitch.
"There is no rule or law to say you have to make the pitch perfect for Liverpool. That is not the way it is.
"It could have been better, of course, everybody wants it perfect for the style of play you play. West Brom do not play that style of play with the quick passes and movement.
"They like to get it long and back to front very quickly, so they are not interested in how good the pitch is for Liverpool. They are interested in themselves.
"So you have to deal with the conditions."
The Sky Sports pundit did agree with Klopp though that referee Stuart Attwell should have awarded Liverpool a second-half penalty when Craig Dawson bundled Danny Ings over in the box.
"When you see it, it is clearly a foul and if that is outside the box, it is a free kick," said McMahon.
"So he does not give it in the box. It is a penalty, granted. He blocks him, he knows Dawson, he turns away and is almost embarrassed and he is ready for the referee to blow the whistle. His head is down."
However, Klopp's claim that West Brom were fortunate to be given a late free-kick from which Rondon levelled matters was dismissed by Rickie Lambert.
"I do not get why he is making these little excuses," said the former Liverpool and West Brom striker. "I thought he was better than that, I do not get it.
"Just worry about the two goals, do not worry that the ref made a decision, or it should have been a pen, or the pitch was dry.
"That has baffled me a little bit, I thought he was bigger than that."
