Jurgen Klopp complains that reasoning with referees is like trying to 'talk to my microwave

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hit out at the officiating in his side’s 3-1 loss at Brentford on Monday, insisting that conversations with referees are as fruitful as those with ‘my microwave’.

The Reds were deservedly beaten at the Gtech Community Stadium and had also VAR to thank for ruling a further two goals from Yoane Wissa out to prevent them from further humiliation.

An own goal from Ibrahima Konate at a corner – which VAR cleared of handball against Ben Mee – was followed by a header from Wissa shortly after he saw two initial strikes chalked off. Darwin Nunez had a strike ruled out for offside just after half-time before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain headed in the Reds’ only legal goal of the evening.

With the clock winding down, Bryan Mbeumo beat Konate in a physical duel and sealed the points for the hosts, though Klopp argued this should have been ruled out and accused Brentford of ‘stretching the rules’.

He has now also launched a tirade at referee Stuart Attwell and his officiating team, claiming they were incredibly hard to talk to.

When asked if he had flagged to them Brentford’s supposedly illegal manoeuvres on set plays, Klopp replied: “Yeah, but actually that’s exactly the same as I would talk to my microwave, you get no response, really. It’s just, it’s always the same really.

“Before the season they gave us advice that the players have to be careful at set-pieces because the refs will have an eye on it. In these games pretty much everything is allowed. It’s always on the edge and they are using it.”

Where Klopp was frustrated with the officiating, his opposite number Thomas Frank was very pleased with how the game was allowed to flow.

“I guess we have some very, very good refs. There are four on the pitch and then we have a VAR room and it has never been more difficult to score,” Frank said.