talkSPORT host Adrian Durham has put the blame for the UEFA Super Cup pitch invasion at the feet of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Several Liverpool fans raced onto the pitch at the end of the penalty shootout after stand-in keeper Adrian saved Tammy Abraham’s spot-kick. One slipped and kicked Adrian who picked up an injury and is now a doubt for the Premier League game against Southampton on Saturday.
Klopp was angry about the situation in his pre-match press conference today with the prospect of both his keepers out after Alisson limped out of the opening day win against Norwich.
However, talking on Drive Time on Friday afternoon (talkSPORT, 4.30pm), Durham said that Klopp should take a “long look at himself”.
“He’s the king of running on the pitch when he shouldn’t,” Durham said.
“He’s the man who goes charging on the pitch after a late equaliser, where he doesn’t belong, where he’s not allowed to go.
“He’s setting the standard. Who’s to blame? The fan for definite. But Jurgen Klopp, setting the standards, is he more to blame than UEFA for this fans’ actions, that Klopp called a disgrace? He [the fan] just gets caught up in the moment and deserves to be punished, sure, but Klopp needs to take a long look at himself. This is a direct result of what he did and he should address his own actions.”
OPINION
Durham has built a very successful show on talkSPORT with these soundbites but he’s ridiculously wide of the mark here. Klopp might not be allowed on the pitch to celebrate but there’s a big difference to a club manager doing it and a fan breaking the law. The Liverpool fan who injured Adrian is now likely one of the most unpopular people on Merseyside and that will be magnified if the keeper isn’t fit to play and Klopp’s side don’t beat Southampton. Klopp is right though and something needs to be done about the fans. Pitch invasions seem to be getting more common and nothing good ever comes out of it. We can’t go back to the dark days of fences but a zero-tolerance and harsh punishments will eventually work. Klopp might have a case to answer to about entering the field of play but it’s wrong to conflate these two incidents.
