Klopp explains touchline rant with Liverpool star

The Reds boss was seen berating Virgil van Dijk from the touchline during the Premier League match against Brighton.

Jurgen Klopp has played down his angry rant at Virgil van Dijk during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday.

The Reds appeared on course for another three points at Anfield after Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane’s goals handed them a two-goal lead inside 24 minutes.

But Brighton pulled off an unlikely comeback to force Liverpool to settle for a 2-2 draw. Enock Mwepu scored first for the Seagulls before Leandro Trossard’s second-half equalizer salvaged a point.

In fact, it was during the second half when Klopp was seen in a bit of an intense discussion with defender Van Dijk.

📺 Jurgen Klopp on having an exchange with Virgil van Dijk:

"It was the one where March was pretty much the only player up-front for Brighton and Virgil was too far away. In that moment it was about that but yes, a normal coach-player talk." 🔴 pic.twitter.com/bQcT9Fz7ET

— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) October 30, 2021

“Don’t know 100 per cent, we have conversations quite a lot of times,” said the Liverpool boss of the exchange in a post-match conference on Saturday.

“So, there is never one explanation, you cannot now make a massive story of that because I said before we didn’t defend the half-spaces right. That’s the problem.

“When the guy on the ball is not under pressure, you cannot have a high last line, so then the last line drops in that moment and all of a sudden we put pressure on it and then they have to push up again.

“So, these kinds of things, we have clear rules, clear moments for when we do what. It’s not an easy one. Now I know it [what the exchange was about], it was the one where [Solly] March was pretty much the only player up-front for Brighton and Virgil was too far away.

“In that moment it was about that but yes, a normal coach-player talk.”