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Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara has criticized Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for complaining that his team's performance at Fulham on August 6 was affected by a dry pitch.
As per Eurosport, the German boss used the condition of the pitch at Craven Cottage as an excuse for his team's failure to beat the newly-promoted side in their opening Premier League fixture.
Klopp was roundly mocked for his comments after the final whistle, with former Fulham midfielder O'Hara calling the Reds' performance 'lethargic'. The outspoken pundit said on talkSPORT:
“It’s ridiculous, they are making excuses and he loves an excuse, Jurgen. He gets away with it quite a lot. I’ve played for Fulham at Craven Cottage. That pitch is immaculate, it is one of the best pitches you will ever play on."
“The grass is perfect, they always have it bang on. They water the pitch constantly. They even water the pitch at half-time. It’s hot and it’s going to dry out but come on!”
The retired midfielder further added:
“Fulham went out and played really well. They went after it and I don’t think Liverpool were expecting it. They were lethargic and had a hangover from last season. They weren’t at the races and Fulham capitalized on that. To come out and make excuses about the pitch is just nonsense.”
Jurgen Klopp concedes his Liverpool side were not at their best against Fulham
The Reds had a difficult start to the new season as they fell twice behind against Marco Silva's side. Goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah earned last season's runners-up a point. However, the Reds would have been disappointed not to take all three points from a game they were expected to win comfortably.
Liverpool were far from their best in the encounter, something Klopp admitted following the clash in west London. The German boss told BBC Sport:
"We got a point from a really bad game from my side. The attitude wasn't right in the beginning. We didn't deserve more. We did the opposite of what we wanted to do."
He added:
"The performance was a defeat - the result is not a defeat but the performance was a defeat and that's why we have to figure out what happened. Playing the way we played is not how we should play, and that's why my frustration about that is pretty high."
