Atletico star rebuffs Klopp criticism in passionate response to Liverpool boss Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier insists his side were right in their approach to their Champions League clash with Liverpool, despite criticism from opposing manager Jurgen Klopp. Atletico dethroned Champions League holders Liverpool by knocking them out in the Round of 16 tie, thanks to a 4-2 aggregate win after extra time. Liverpool boss Klopp was not exactly complimentary in defeat, claiming that Atletico did not play as open a brand of football they should have. “I don’t understand with the quality they have the football they play,” said Klopp, in comments that were criticised by pundits. “When I see players like [Marcos] Llorente, Koke, Saul Niguez… they could play proper football but they stand deep in their own half and have counter-attacks but they beat us so we accept that and congratulate them.” Now, Atletico’s English defender Trippier has hit back at Klopp’s comments, insisting a different gameplan would have only worked in the Reds’ favour. “If you go there and go toe-to-toe with Liverpool, you’re going to get beat 6-0,” he told the Mirror. “I don’t know what people expect. You see pundits complaining because we did defend, but did they expect us to go there and play attacking football, especially with Liverpool playing the way that they’re playing at the moment? “You need to go there with a plan and we did that. We did have to defend, but the most important thing is that we got the win. “We knew they would blow up because of the amount of pressure they’d applied and the amount of energy they’d put into the game. “We knew they’d slow down. It took us over 100 minutes, but we won 3-2. People can complain as much as they want, but we thought it was necessary for that type of game. “As I’ve got older it has stopped bothering me. Liverpool didn’t put their chances away and we beat them in both legs. It worked and that’s what football is about.” The post Atletico star rebuffs Klopp criticism in passionate response to Liverpool boss appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier insists his side were right in their approach to their Champions League clash with Liverpool, despite criticism from opposing manager Jurgen Klopp.

Atletico dethroned Champions League holders Liverpool by knocking them out in the Round of 16 tie, thanks to a 4-2 aggregate win after extra time.

Liverpool boss Klopp was not exactly complimentary in defeat, claiming that Atletico did not play as open a brand of football they should have.

“I don’t understand with the quality they have the football they play,” said Klopp, in comments that were criticised by pundits.

“When I see players like [Marcos] Llorente, Koke, Saul Niguez… they could play proper football but they stand deep in their own half and have counter-attacks but they beat us so we accept that and congratulate them.”

Now, Atletico’s English defender Trippier has hit back at Klopp’s comments, insisting a different gameplan would have only worked in the Reds’ favour.

“If you go there and go toe-to-toe with Liverpool, you’re going to get beat 6-0,” he told the Mirror.

“I don’t know what people expect. You see pundits complaining because we did defend, but did they expect us to go there and play attacking football, especially with Liverpool playing the way that they’re playing at the moment?

“You need to go there with a plan and we did that. We did have to defend, but the most important thing is that we got the win.

“We knew they would blow up because of the amount of pressure they’d applied and the amount of energy they’d put into the game.

 

“We knew they’d slow down. It took us over 100 minutes, but we won 3-2. People can complain as much as they want, but we thought it was necessary for that type of game.

“As I’ve got older it has stopped bothering me. Liverpool didn’t put their chances away and we beat them in both legs. It worked and that’s what football is about.”

 

The post Atletico star rebuffs Klopp criticism in passionate response to Liverpool boss appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Samuel Bannister