No one would have batted an eyelid if he’d played the youth plus a senior player or two. Instead he immediately made a statement post game about how he won’t be going to the replay (okay Jürgen), and that it’ll be played by the youth team. He was making a point about scheduling, it came across as a bit dramatic and disrespectful to Shrewsbury.
I understand your point. Fair enough. I can buy into the direspectful bit. On the other hand though. In context. Was he direspectful to Shrewsbury directly or was it an unintended consequence of honouring the already-made decision that all senior players are to be rested, as per the winter break and as scheduled by the FA?
I went into the FA.com website, albeit all the rounds are listed, there's no mention of replay dates. I don't know if Klopp was aware that 4th round rematches were penciled for that week. Or, Is that decision only made after the matches.
If we cast our minds back several weeks. Klopp fielded the same kids against Aston Villa. Yet nobody is saying he was direspectful to Aston Villa. Yet, if we are to use the same principle, one should argue that he was way more direspectful to the premier League Aston villa - but that's not the case.
In both instances, Klopp was to make a decision that suited Liverpool. In both instances, it was a scheduling issue.
I dunno. Perhaps the scheduling shenanigans needs more focus and outcry instead of gunning one manager, unfairly imo, for sticking to what had already been decided.
That's just my opinion.