Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he won't change his emotional ways after Pulis bust-up

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he will not change his emotional managerial ways

 

JURGEN KLOPP will not curb his emotional managerial style despite offering an apology to Tony Pulis for last weekend's Anfield touchline bust-up.

 

The Liverpool manager said "sorry" for his antics as he sought to defuse tensions despite West Brom counterpart Pulis reopening their verbal spat by claiming he would only have celebrated like his rival had he won "the European Cup".

Klopp's manic reaction to Divock Origi's deflected injury-time goal, which earned a 2-2 draw, saw him thump his chest in front of Pulis and refuse to shake the hand of West Brom coach Martin O'Connor.

He then asked his players to form a line and bow down in front of The Kop to say thank you for the support they had received in conjuring the late equaliser.

It was a theatrical performance from Klopp, who maintains he cannot change when consumed by the heat of the moment, even if his tone was conciliatory yesterday.

"Until now I couldn't stop it," said the Liverpool boss, whose side travel to Watford tomorrow. "Not my coaching, I don't want to stop my coaching but of course it was a difficult game. It was a difficult situation.

 

"Tony Pulis knows himself he is not the most easy coach in the world, so there were a few words from me. It is really no problem and usually after a game I would give him my hand and say, 'Sorry for this', but I was not in that situation.

"Then we had the situation with the assistant coach which was not okay, but I was not cooled down, what can I say? Sometimes you need a few seconds more.

"If I meet them, both of them, I could easily say sorry if they needed and we can talk about everything. There is no lack of respect. Everything is okay from my side if not from the other side.

"I am emotional during the game and sometimes things you say during it that you wouldn't say afterwards. With him, I think, it is the same, so it is absolutely no problem."

Pulis, who hosts Bournemouth at the Hawthorns today, expressed his disappointment at Klopp labelling his team a long-ball side, although only Watford (1,248) have played more long passes than West Brom (1,150) this term.

 

"He's got his opinions and he can say what he wants," said Pulis. "We apologise, we actually played three longer passes in 99 minutes then Liverpool played in that game."

Asked whether he would repeat the celebrations at the final whistle, Pulis added: "Yeah, when we win the European Cup or something like that!"

The manner in which Klopp gathered his players together in a line was taken from his days at Borussia Dortmund, but he maintains it was not a celebration of the result.

"If you want to misinterpret what I did after the game you can if you want, but in that situation I would do it again," said Klopp, who must check on the fitness of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who has a hamstring strain.

"I'm not here to bring German traditions to England or anything like that.

 

"How could we say thank you to the fans? Send letters? You can only react in this moment, directly after the game. I didn't get the feeling that the Liverpool fans in the stadium had a problem with what we did.

"It is not important for everyone to understand what we are doing. It is for us. It is for Liverpool fans, it is for the relationship of the team. It was only a thank you. Nothing else.

"But it was a surprise for the players. They did not know what they had to do in this moment.

"We got a point that was more than deserved. Our fans, as a minimum, deserved this point. We had a few seconds together. But everyone has been talking about it the whole week."

Of more concern to Klopp is eking out more goals from his side. Steven Gerrard remains Liverpool's second highest goalscorer in the Premier League in 2015 with six goals despite having left the club in May. Philippe Coutinho has the most with eight.