Why Klopp got it wrong by going after BT

“Congratulations” - that was the moment Jurgen Klopp’s fascinating eight-minute post-match interview with BT’s Des Kelly spiraled out of control and into a slug-fest.

In one of the most fascinating managerial interviews of recent times, Klopp’s recent fury at the Premier League’s scheduling and lack of movement over five substitutions boiled over into a fierce debate with Kelly, who stood his ground.

The Liverpool manager’s angst was firmly over playing at 12:30 before a Wednesday night, with it taking some sparring between the two before that point was focused in on, which Kelly still failed to address, despite being in the right.

A fascinating interview between Jurgen Klopp and @TheDesKelly discussing Liverpool's draw with Brighton, the Reds' injuries and fixture schedule. pic.twitter.com/s0BhahlUsP

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 28, 2020

Klopp can’t blame the broadcasters for the 12:30 slot existing, and having the ability to put sides in it who played Wednesday night, those complaints have to be directed at the Premier League, however, he can, and did, express his annoyance BT choosing to put his side in that slot.

The big issue though, which Kelly didn’t pick up on, is BT are only given two slots first thing on a Saturday morning, which they pay a grand total of £295 million a year for, slots designated for a ‘second pick’ match, the ‘first pick’ going to Sky Sports’ Sunday slots.

On this occasion, Sky unsurprisingly took Chelsea vs Tottenham as their headliner, leaving the remaining fixtures to BT, of which they also unsurprisingly took last season’s champions Liverpool (vs Brighton) and runners-up Manchester City (vs Burnley).

While Klopp can be annoyed that BT arguably doesn’t care about his players’ well-being having to play the early kick-off, and with it travel a day earlier, missing a day at the training ground recuperating, he can’t be surprised they pick the two biggest teams to fill their only two slots of the weekend.

Both have been praised for their honesty, with both expressing valid points on the subject as a whole, but on the main issue, while Klopp’s criticism is valid, hoping BT will dwindle their viewing figures by picking a lesser side all for the sake of his player’s fitness, is both unrealistic, and unreasonable.

BT are making the most of what they've got, as are Liverpool, and until changes are made by the Premier League, things will stay that way. And the Reds aren't the only side who will suffer from it, as Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær pointed out weeks before.

"The kick-off time set us up to fail."

"It's an absolute shambles. The boys deserve better."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is furious that Man Utd have had to play on Saturday afternoon having played in Turkey on Wednesday night.

🎙 @TheDesKelly pic.twitter.com/4xjJqMhU8y

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 7, 2020