Former Everton and Manchester City left-back Michael Ball has criticised Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds manager confirmed that he would not use any senior players in the FA Cup fourth round replay against Shrewsbury Town at Anfield.
The league leaders were stunned by a remarkable comeback from Shrewsbury, who came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2.
Ball believes that Klopp is being disrespectful. He wrote on Twitter:
Sounds like Mr Klopp didn’t take out early holiday insurance and can’t cancel his booked winter break away. So he’ll do what he does best and once again disrespect a UK domestic cup.
I’m sure he was happy to be involved when he first signed his LFC contract. Why take the risk and play a weakened team? Own fault!
When the FA asked clubs to honour the break, they meant clubs don’t take advantage of the break with a commercial money-making trip abroad. Not to disrespect the most famous domestic cup in the world.
READ EVERTON VERDICT
Ball makes a valid point and it does seem to us that Klopp is being slightly disrespectful to the competition, but at the end of the day, he decides what team plays in which competition.
Although morally it doesn’t seem like the right thing to do, Klopp has every right to do it, but we feel that coming out and saying it immediately after the match was the part that many people didn’t like.
Klopp had almost certainly already made plans for the two-week break with his senior players and clearly, he does not want that plan to be disrupted.
