Liverpool draw at Leeds as players and Jurgen Klopp speak out against European Super League plans
Chris Bascombe
·28-min read
Diego Llorente celebrates scoring his first Leeds goal - REUTERS
You could almost hear the roar in UEFA headquarters.
Diego Llorente leapt and every supporter disassociated with England’s rebel six - and possibly many with the clubs in their heart - celebrated the Leeds equaliser which inflicted further damage upon Liverpool’s top four hopes.
At least that’s the presumption. It’s hard to tell what the season’s objectives are anymore.
For now we ought to cling to the notion Leeds’ thrilling second half comeback holds significance in the top four race, Liverpool missing the chance to go above West Ham and Chelsea.
Everyone appeared to be playing like it still mattered, Jurgen Klopp celebrating Sadio Mane’s opening goal with the usual effervescence, and expressing his despair as Leeds second half surge was rewarded.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side deserved it having revived themselves after a poor first half. But for the woodwork and Alisson Becker they would have inflicted more damage to the idea that Klopp’s European participation next season will be via sporting rather than finance and heritage means.
Carragher: I am sickened Liverpool are involved in Super League
Klopp, his players and the observing five rebel partners were left in no doubt what awaits at every Premier League ground; fury and isolation.
Here was a game impeccably timed to showcase English football’s competitiveness, proof there can never be guarantees and everything must be earned.
Leeds were lame for 45 minutes and Liverpool excellent. Then the roles reversed and Liverpool could not escape their penalty area.
“The game was beautiful,” said Bielsa.
"I will try to help to sort this somehow."
Jurgen Klopp has spoken about the European Super League proposals in tonight's post-match press conference.#MNFpic.twitter.com/v1n6OlTJm6
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2021
Klopp saw the same story of too many missed chances and lack of defensive resistance when the pressure increases. Every neutral saw it as some kind of justice for the sins of his boardroom.
Is that fair on Klopp and his players? He passionately argued not.
Where he might usually see footballs, Klopp looked around Elland Road and must have felt by the scattering of hand grenades as he made his way to each host broadcaster.
First there were the pre-match duties, Liverpool's hierarchy using their manager as club spokesman and ambassador in addition to coach.
There, Klopp stood, football manager as human shield, thrust in front of the camera to answer for his owners' Super League plans and defending himself and players against a backlash not of his or their making. Oh for the days when the main point of contention was the omission of Mohamed Salah.
🇩🇪 | "We have nothing to do with it." 🏴 | "He can't say what he wants to say."
Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with Gary Neville's comments about #LFC on Sunday but the Sky Sports pundit believes they are "on the same page" about The Super League proposals. pic.twitter.com/vBek4kocvt
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2021
Then there were the fans' protests on arrival, including in Leeds city centre on the afternoon of the game, and banners in the stands, variations on the theme of money and greed. What a prolonged, attritional and unholy war this will be, on this occasion the Liverpool players considered collateral damage.
Afterwards, James Milner made his feelings known about the Super League plans, the first player who would be in line to play in the competition to speak out against it.
"I can only say my personal opinion, I don't like it and hopefully it doesn't happen," he told Sky Sports. "I can only imagine what has been said about it and I probably agree with most of it."
There was bound to be a response of some kind, and after Klopp’s words reiterated his passion for Champions League football, his side initially reacted with deeds.
If finishing outside the top four is immaterial as the JP Morgan megabucks are incoming, Liverpool’s start suggested they had not received that memo.
Maybe another source of motivation was at play, the Liverpool manager clearly irked by Leeds’ stunt with anti-Super League t-shirts in the visitors’ dressing room.
The fixture should have been over by half-time, Klopp’s side continuing the theme of creating plenty but not converting enough.
Roberto Firmino should have scored within a minute, and Mane and Jota were also culpable before the opening goal the visitors’ deserved came on 30 minutes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold dashes unsettled Leeds’ man-marking system, and Jota turned provider to send him beyond Ezgjan Alioski. With Gareth Southgate watching on (does he ever miss a Liverpool game?) the full-back picked out Mane to tap-in.
Mane has been in slump so needed that. He couldn’t miss, but he still does not look like the striker of old. It’s a problem Liverpool must address this summer.
Leeds also had first half chances thanks to defensive gifts - another theme of the outgoing champions’ season. Fabinho, back as an emergency centre-back, passed directly to Patrick Bamford who was unable to beat the advancing Alisson, the ball ricocheting off the Brazilian and bouncing wide.
But Firmino and Jota ought to have doubled the lead swiftly into the second half, the former testing Illan Meslier, the latter heading the resulting corner over.
Then came the fightback, Leeds finally igniting the same fire in the belly as those fans who had gathered at the players’ entrance, Liverpool more defensively anxious. The Leeds attackers swarmed across the pitch and the equaliser felt inevitable.
Alisson was regularly needed. Jack Harrison danced into the penalty area forcing the best save, and Bamford struck the crossbar.
By the time Klopp subbed Jota - impressive in the first half but anonymous in the second - for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, his team had spent 15 minutes defending a siege.
They succumbed on 87 minutes when Llorente headed past Alisson from Harrison’s corner. Those cheers from the gathered Leeds executives sounded especially vociferous.
Klopp, his players and the owners might as well get used to that for the foreseeable future.
10:03 PM
Jurgen Klopp press conference
"I am here as a football coach and a manager and I will do that as long as people let me do that. I heard today I will resign or whatever. If times get even tougher that makes me more sticky that I stay here. I feel responsible for the team, the club, the relationship that we have with our fans. It is a very tough time for sure but I will try to sort it, for sure."
09:43 PM
We will get to Chris Bascombe
and his report now - I'll keep the blog going in case Gurreh chucks a wobbler.
09:38 PM
Jamie Carragher on Klopp
"If Klopp left Liverpool over this, Liverpool support would have those owners out within a week. They would rip that stadium down. That man is the most powerful man at Liverpool football club."
09:35 PM
Gary Neville on Klopp
"I don't know why I am living in his head to be honest with you. I have no idea what he is on about. I employ 600 people and tried to keep them in a job in a pandemic. He is spiky, he has been let down. He cannot say what he wants to say but I can. The Klopp that I know, he hates everything about this. He has been let down by owners. And so have his players."
09:33 PM
Jurgen Klopp on Neville
"Leeds deserved the draw. Second half we didn't play. The boys defended with a big heart and we could have used one of our counter attacking chances. We didn't use our chances.
"They put shirts in our dressing room. I don't think it is right. I don't think we deserve that as a team. I don't like that. A lot of people are talking about Liverpool. They might not like what is come up - but we cannot blame the team for that. I take the criticism if we don't play well, so do the players, but there is nothing we can do. People are shouting at us. You have to be a bit careful. We are people as well. It is an emotional situation. Gary Neville speaks about You'll Never Walk Alone. That should be forbidden. We have the right to sing our anthem it is ours not his. he doesn't understand it anyway. It is not fair. I understand all the talk that is around but I don't talk about other clubs and you should not. I would wish Gary Neville would be in a hot seat somewhere and not everywhere where the most money is. He was at Man United where the most money is. Now he is at Sky where the most money is. Damn them to hell? He says that, he writes to that today? This is not okay. Our owners are great people, serious people, good people, reasonable people. It is not my decision. We are employees. I am a bit responsible for the relationship between the team and the supporters. It is not about me it is about the boys. I am a grown up man. We can react emotionally but we have to speak about it too."
09:18 PM
Gary Neville
"The difference between 1992 and today is that this is anti-competitive."
"Clubs that have been in their communities. Pioneers. There was a man who took them into Europe 70 years ago. A group of players who lost their lives to go and forage in Europe, and play in Europe. For this?"
Okay this is getting a bit ridiculous now.
09:18 PM
Sky statement
"We have not been involved in any discussions with the proposed European breakaway League."
09:12 PM
Gary Neville
"The faceless spineless owners have not had the guts, the basic decency, and said 'look lads this is what we are doing and why. They are not even decent enough that they can communicate it to them.' They don't care about the fans, and they don't care about the people that work for them."
"Why would would the Abu Dhabi people want this? They have come into football for marketing and PR. They don't need extra money. They need to convert themselves into people that are accepted around the world. Manchester City cannot want this. They don't need this."
"We don't care that we are working for an organisation that might be embarrassed by what we say sometimes," says Gary. Over to you, Dave Jones!
09:10 PM
Jamie Carragher
"We need every player, ever manager doing interviews. We want the same message. We need the same response. We cannot allow this to die away and fall away. We need to ramp this up. It is not easy for Jurgen Klopp or James Milner but they have spoken up."
"As soon as one club pulls out it will all go."
09:09 PM
James Milner speaks
"Maybe a draw is a fair result. It was more the week, really. Not keeping it second half.
"For us, we just try to concentrate on the game and try to be professional. We were the same as everyone else - we heard when it broke yesterday. There are lots of questions. My personal opinion is that I don't like it. I don't want it. Players have no say. The welcome we had to the ground tonight felt a bit unjust - we are just here to play."
Well played @JamesMilner in speaking out against the ESL. It’s not easy for the players to go against the owners. They’ve been placed in an invidious position. I’m sure all the players feel the same. If they stand together with their fans it will always be remembered.
"I have not seen a single football fan who likes the idea. Football clubs would be nothing without the fans. We have seen all the stuff on Twitter and the news and, yeah, like the fans we cannot believe it."
🎯 Patrick Bamford: "It's amazing the amount of uproar when somebody's pocket is being hurt. It's a shame that this doesn't happen with issues like racism."
Really enjoyable game. Quality entertainment. Liverpool well on top in the first half, Leeds leaving plenty of space and opportunities. Trent AA set up Mane. But Leeds fought back hard in the second period and deserved their point.
08:53 PM
90+ mins: Leeds United 1 Liverpool 1
Oxlade-Chamberlain, on as a sub, has a good chance to win it late but hits his shot at the keeper.
Llorente, the goalscoring hero, has picked up a knock. But they will be able to attend to that at their leisure: it has finished 1-1.
08:49 PM
90 mins: Leeds United 1 Liverpool 1
There will be four minutes added time.
08:49 PM
88 mins: Leeds United 1 Liverpool 1
Leeds look like the fancy another, Klopp looks miffed.
08:46 PM
GOAL! Leeds United 1 Liverpool 1 (Llorente 86)
Ha ha ha. Well fair play to the lad. He's had a stinker, but he's got a goal. A good hard low flat corner, Alisson cannot get to it, Llorente can, and he has manged to get the melon on it and direct it goalward for an equaliser that, on balance, I think his side deserve in this second half.
Ayling the man who won the corner and Harrison the man who delivered it. Was a terrific corner.
08:43 PM
84 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Llorente is having a proper 3/10. He's lost Salah here, trying some sort of neither one thing nor the other one man offside trap. Mo Salah onto it, races forward, hits the shot across goal but just wide.
08:39 PM
80 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Extraordinary stuff from Meslier as he comes a mile for a ball from a corner. He's never getting that. Flaps at it in the comedy style. Then turns around hares towards his own goal and somehow manages to get back in time to tip the bouncing ball over. Eccentric stuff.
The resultant corner is dealt with in more conventional fashion.
08:36 PM
76 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Game is very stretched. Robertson leads a three man break, with Jota on his left and Salah on his right. Makes an awful mess of the ball though.
08:35 PM
76 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Alisson is earning his corn! Kabak has totally sold himself, Roberts is through in the area and should have done better. He wellied it as hard as he could, too near to Alisson.
08:33 PM
74 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Bamford! Oh that would have been a peach. Drives forward, lets her rip and hits the bar.
Leeds certainly giving this a good old go.
08:29 PM
70 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Salah comes on for Mane, Jota switches sides.
08:27 PM
68 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Wonderful feet from Phillips, and then he slips it to Harrison with some excellent nimble play himself. Shoots. Good effort. Well stopped.
Leeds coming on the charge here.
08:26 PM
67 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Kabak is booked for tackling Ayling.
08:23 PM
63 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Enjoyable, open game. Robertson barrelling forward as he does, Jota is also looking a live wire. Game's opened up and the Liverpool defence looks beatable. I do wonder if the open-ness might make Leeds vulnerable to the second though. Still, got to try, eh?
08:18 PM
60 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Decent spell for Leeds. They have had a couple of corners. Costa at the back post! Cannot get on it. Think he was off anyway maybe.
08:17 PM
58 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Ah, where there is VAR there is always hope of a total fiasco. Liverpool area. Ball is looped over Bamford, it hits Trent Alexander-Arnold on the arm, he's trying to move his arm out of the way so no penalty.
08:12 PM
55 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Very one-sided in the second half so far, Liverpool look really dangerous and Leeds are creaking badly.
08:12 PM
53 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Jota runs at the defence. Very half-baked effort from Llorente to tackle him. Llorente has had a poor match. Leeds again very limp as they defend the corner.
08:09 PM
50 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Milner with a good touch. He's got away from Dallas far too easily. Pops it on for Mane. Meslier brave to deny him and gets a whack for his courage.
08:06 PM
47 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Leeds back of Firmino, and he's allowed to get his shot away. Meslier palms it behind.
From the corner, Jota has a gilt-edged chance to make it two. Up for the header, unopposed. Plants it over.
08:04 PM
46 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Liverpool touched the ball 29 times in the Leeds box in the first half: that's the most Opta have recorded by an away side in the Premier League. Stat there from, er, Sky's Andy Hinchcliffe.
08:03 PM
Players are out
Klopp was sitting on a bucket earlier - shout out??
Anyway. Here comes the second half.
07:49 PM
HALF TIME: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Sadio Mane has his first League goal in nine games, I believe that was his longest drought for the Reds. They have been well on top. Much to love about Bielsa but his gameplan is not really working here: the Leeds wide men are not staying back / tracking back enough, and if there's one team in the league you cannot afford to allow space in behind and out wide it's obviously Liverpool. Robertson and Alexander-Arnold are really enjoying their evening and it was the latter who made a superb run forward, with Harrison nowhere, and he cushioned the ball inside for Mane to do the rest. Liverpool well on top.
07:46 PM
45 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Just one minute will be added. Liverpool have the ball throughout it, but in midfield, and the ref soon enough blows the whistle.
07:44 PM
43 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Liv go direct. Mane onto it. Tries to find Jota when he might have been better going alone. Liverpool have a corner. Leeds half clear it. Robertson comes with the ball, to Jota... well marshalled by Ayling.
07:40 PM
39 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Firmino goes into the book for clipping Ayling, I thought that was perhaps a little bit harsh. No matter. Phillips has a chance to send in the freekick but it's easily dealt with.
Liverpool break... poor decision making from Llorente running back as he nearly chips his own keeper.
07:37 PM
36 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Good open game. Alioski goes into the book for bringing down the breaking Mane. Leeds with an attack of their own there.
07:34 PM
33 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Trent in business again. Jack Harrison is not learning his lessons here, he is caught upfield once again, giving Trent absolutely acres of space. Alexander-A cuts it back inside and fortunately for Harrison, Jota bungles the chance.
07:32 PM
GOAL! Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1 (Mane 30)
It's a smart, if regulation, finish for Mane - but it is all made by the run of Trent Alexander-Arnold. He hares down the right, he surges onto the ball and slots it across for Mane, who tucks it away to end his goal drought.
A very Leeds goal to concede: they like to go man to man, but then if, well, if you don't go with the man (as Harrison didn't here) then Liverpool, of all teams, are going to kill you with their overlapping full backs.
07:27 PM
25 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Wijnaldum is on the premises as Liverpool deliver in a corner, but cannot direct the effort.
07:25 PM
25 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Dallas forced into a foul that earns him a yellow card - on his 30th birthday.
07:24 PM
23 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Awful play from Fabinho He gives the ball away to Phillips, who slots it to Bamford. Poor touch from Patrick, Fabinho manages to get back.
07:20 PM
20 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Ayling getting through plenty of work. Leeds are getting a tough test here.
But a nice break from them. Alioski and Harrison combine, wicked ball in, Bamford is on the premises and Liverpool have to turn it behind.
07:17 PM
17 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Good dummy run from Milner opens up space for Firmino, who hits the target but also the keeper.
Leeds United's Helder Costa in action with Liverpool's James Milner - Reuters
07:14 PM
14 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Alioski with a good tackle to deny Jota.
In the build up to that, Mane was rugby tackled by Llorente but Taylor let it go.
07:13 PM
12 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Leeds freekick, Liverpool defend with a very high line. Bamford gets onto it and fluffs a weak shot wide. He's probably quite pleased to see the offside flag there.
07:09 PM
8 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Leeds stand off, Helder Costa loses Robertson, who gets in behind.
moments later, they stand off again and Fabinho is allowed to stroll forward from the centre of defence, all the way into the area and cross for Firmino. Lucky for the Leeds guys, the pass is poor and Firmino cannot do much with it. But Leeds need to wake up and catch on.
07:06 PM
6 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
As you'd expect from these sides, the game is played at a furious tempo.
07:03 PM
3 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
Long ball for Firmino to run onto...Struijk is ball-watching! Firmino gets there first and tries to hook it over the keeper, but cannot. Warning for Leeds. Undone there by the simplest of attacks.
07:02 PM
Leeds players in the warm up
Leeds players warm up - Getty
07:01 PM
1 mins: Leeds United 0 Liverpool 0
The white of Leeds playing from left to right, and they look to make a quick direct attack as Alioski drives the ball up for Bamford. Overhit.
Dear old James Milner is back in the Liverpool midfield, and back in at Elland Road.
Fans protest outside Elland Road - PA Wire
06:49 PM
Well
after all that, we turn now to association football. Leeds United vs Liverpool coming up on this blog. If you want to follow more of the European Super League stuff, there's this here blog here.
This is the rub, for me. Sky enjoying being on the right side of opinion with this stuff, but if they (or BT or whoever) didn't put it on, then there's no deal to me made.
"They [the ESL six] will use the Premier League like the Carabao Cup and they will save the best players for the Real Madrid, Barcelona games. This will turn off a generation of people. Football can take you to a place that nothing else can and this will be the end of that."
06:37 PM
Some ugly scenes
at Leeds. Hard to believe, I know.
Fan argues with steward - PA Wire
06:35 PM
Fans burn a Liverpool shirt
Fans burn a Liverpool shirt - PA Wire
06:32 PM
Here is Jurgen Klopp
🚨 | Jurgen Klopp speaks about the European Super League...
The #LFC manager explains his thoughts on the breakaway proposals and reveals him and his players were not consulted on the decision.
Fans hold up a banner in protest against the European Super League outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road - Getty
06:16 PM
Jurgen Klopp
speaks to Sky
"My feelings have not changed. I heard first time about ESL yesterday. Trying to prepare for a difficult game. Most of the information we got you can read in the newspaper. It is a tough one. People are not happy. There is not a lot more I can say. We were not involved in any process, me or the players. We have to wait and see.
"My aim was always to coach in the Champions League. I like the competitive factor of football. I like that West Ham have the chance to play in the Champions League next year, although I don't want them to because we want to get in. Liverpool FC is more than some decisions. The most important part of football is the supporters and the team. I don't think anything should come between that. Banners have been put down outside Anfield but it is not to do with the players or the team. You have to stick together. The boys have not done anything wrong. Nobody has to walk alone. Some things will change in football, where the power is that is not right. Uefa showed me the plans for the new Champions League and it is always more games, more games. Fifa wants a World Club Cup and that is about money, nothing more. I don't like it."
"When people use our anthem against us, I don’t like. we did nothing wrong. We should make sure nobody walks alone. The players have done nothing.”
"This morning we had a short meeting and I told the boys the things I know which is not very much."
Asked about the game prep.
"I heard already that there are warm up shirts but I will not wear them because we cannot, but if somebody thinks they have to remind us that you have to earn it to go the the Champions League that is a joke. A real joke. If they put that in our dressing room, it was Leeds idea? Well that is a joke. Nobody has to remind us. Thank you."
06:09 PM
Plane banner
Leeds United players are planning to wear t shirts pre match tonight that say: Earn it on the pitch. Football is for the fans.
"I was hoping they were going to rethink it. When I saw Joel Glazer's name on it I thought: this is serious. Once he puts his name on it he is going to force it through. They have been through everything at Man United. They faced it down and they don't care. Levy is steel like. Abramovich is hard as nails. He won't care about criticism. It is hard not to feel sick but you have to write to your MP. Forget who you support. This is an attack. They are trying to take football away from us. They are scavengers. They need booting out of Manchester United and they need booting out of this country."
Gary Neville on the wretched "Super League" proposals on @SkySports: "This is an attack by six wealthy families on the integrity of our sport and it must be stopped."
On the Glazers: "They're scavengers and they need booting out of this football club and booting of this country"
that there aren't supporters at this game to really make the point to the clubs about what a bad idea fans think this is.
Wonder if they would have tried this if the stadiums were full?
05:26 PM
Jurgen Klopp
and his Liverpool team are the focus of enormous interest, and indeed enormous anger, this evening with the club among the six English sides aiming to form a breakaway European Super League. But it is the Premier League that is their immediate focus tonight on Monday night football as they travel to Leeds United to play a side who had nothing in their minds but staying in that very Premier League this season. No doubt there will be passionate reaction from Gary Neville and Telegraph columnist Jamie Carragher to the news about Liverpool, Manchester United and the European Super League.
Jamie used his column for Telegraph Sport today to say that he is "sickened" to read about the European super league proposals. "It sickens me that my club’s reputation is being damaged by the arrogance of an ownership group that wants to remove [sporting] peril, creating a culture where we no longer need to fight to earn our success. That is the antithesis of everything I understand football – especially in my city – to stand for."
For Jamie, as for many fans, football is about the fantasy that even the littlest club could rise up the pyramid and win the Title. Some will argue that the ladder was pulled up long ago, not least with the Sky and Premier League breakaway, but I think there is something different again about an actual closed-shop cartel. I'm looking forward to seeing what he and Gary Neville have to say about it before the Leeds United vs Liverpool match at 8pm. We will have the team news for that about an hour beforehand.
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