Liverpool wanted eight red cards! – Koeman explains derby anger

Everton manager Ronald Koeman says the Liverpool bench complained so much in the Merseyside derby that they would not have been satisfied unless referee Anthony Taylor brandished eight red cards.

Ross Barkley’s hard challenge on the ankle of Dejan Lovren – which earned him a 40th-minute booking – was one of the main talking points of Liverpool’s 3-1 victory at Anfield.

Immediately after the match, Koeman explained why he had clashed with Jurgen Klopp and his coaching team on the touchline, saying Everton take a different approach from their rivals’ constant complaints to match officials.

And Koeman was then asked to go into further detail at his post-match media conference, explaining Klopp was not the worst culprit, but telling the wider Liverpool bench to improve their behaviour.

“I think it is always a little bit different for the local boys in this Merseyside derby,” Koeman said of Barkley.

“Maybe he deserved two yellows for two tackles but if I watch the bench of Liverpool and one coach on the bench – not the manager – but one of the coaches, it looks like the referee had to show eight red cards to Everton. 

“Please behave a little bit more. Making that show, I don’t like that.”

Proud of the team! Final result didn’t reflect our performance. Future is bright. Thanks to the fans! #EFC #Everton pic.twitter.com/dq6vvrkXPW

— Ronald Koeman (@RonaldKoeman) April 1, 2017

Koeman was annoyed with a questioner suggesting his Everton team had never really got going, stressing his pride at their performance.

“If you start with a question like that, then we can stop because if I mention as manager at Everton that I am really proud about my team – your question is a different world.

“What pleased the manager is the way we played. We had a game-plan, tried to press them, made it really difficult. We came back after an unlucky goal – a good goal but unlucky as it is always difficult for the goalkeeper when it goes through the legs [of a defender].

“I felt we controlled the game. It was really a face-to-face game in the first half. We came back to 1-1, and conceded too easily for the 2-1 – everyone knows the quality of Philippe Coutinho and his finish is great. 

“And in the best period of the game after half-time when we controlled the game Liverpool were defending and defending, we had some chances – but we did a mistake and they punished us for that mistake in our ball possession. 

“After everything we got really some good, two or three open chances and if you see the stats it is really close – not the final result but if you compare both teams Liverpool and Everton who played with four boys of [age] 22 or less.

“You need to learn from this, but I am proud of the way we played because that is the way that I like Everton to play.”