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23rd Dec 2017

Manchester United fans demand FA action following Jurgen Klopp’s touchline behaviour

Double standards?

Darragh Murphy

Is it one rule for certain managers and another for others?

Manchester United supporters are demanding some kind of punishment for Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool manager aggressively threw a water bottle to the ground late on in his side’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Arsenal on Friday night.

Having conceded three goals in the space of five minutes, Liverpool rescued a point courtesy of a Roberto Firmino strike which was too hot for Gunners goalkeeper Petr Cech to handle and, in celebration of the goal, Klopp hurled his bottle to the Emirates turf.

Just last year, United boss Jose Mourinho was hit with a one-match ban and a £16,000 fine for kicking a bottle in anger during a game with West Ham.

Klopp was clearly aware that he had wandered into dangerous territory as he was quick to offer an apology after the final whistle.

“I was happy and it was a kind of aggressive happy,” Klopp said.

“I have made my apology but the people (Arsenal fans), if they would all apologise for what they said to me, it would take a little bit longer than my apology.

“I react sometimes a little bit strange.

“Maybe it’s not nice. The ref told me. But I took it back and I could still empty it afterwards so nothing serious.

“I was not happy about that moment but I really thought it was the least we deserved. That’s how I felt.”

Apology or not, United supporters felt that the FA simply had to punish the German’s behaviour or risk being accused of inconsistency and favouritism towards certain clubs.