ReactionPress conference: Jürgen Klopp's verdict on Man Utd 4-3 Liverpool

The Reds exited the tournament as a late goal from Amad Diallo condemned them to a loss in extra-time, ending hopes of another Wembley appearance this season.

They had looked on course to reach the last four when Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah struck in the first half to overturn Scott McTominay’s opener.

However, Antony came off the bench to roll in a late equaliser in normal time. Harvey Elliott then restored the visitors’ lead with a deflected shot, but Marcus Rashford levelled and Amad netted in the 120th minute to decide the tie.

Read on to see everything Klopp had to say in his post-match press conference at Old Trafford.

On what he takes from Liverpool’s performance…

Obviously today was on and above the edge, it was really tough for us with the 130 or whatever minutes. United had the clear best start, it was obvious, they scored the early goal. We had to organise ourselves a little bit better, we struggled with the man-marking, didn’t play enough, all these kinds of things. In the moment when we found for the first time a way to play then we get rhythm and then it looked really good. Then we were absolutely deserved 2-1 up. And second half was exceptional, absolutely exceptional what we played here.

But we didn’t finish the game off and when you leave the door open away from home at Old Trafford, it’s clear they will get chances. They could score the equaliser and Marcus big chance at the end of normal time, so they can win it there. I see that, it’s clear. Then it got really hard for us, then it was really hard for us. That was now the first time that I really saw my team struggling, that’s how it is. We played a lot of football recently.

Then we go 3-2 up, all good. Then they score, 3-3, 4-3. Come on, easily can accept that, congratulations to United, they fought extremely hard as well. That’s how it is, you want to go to the semi-finals. I think everybody who saw the game today saw two teams who both understood the importance of the occasion and the competition. We tried absolutely everything. Today we didn’t get a lot for it, not to say nothing.

So, now the boys have to recover, it’s really tough – they fly now all around the world pretty much and in five or six days’ time play the first of two games. Let’s really hope and pray they come all back healthy and then we will start the rest of the season. So many good things I saw today. The mood today, when you think about in general the game without being Liverpool and Man United, you think, OK, that was quite some football. And that’s exactly how it should be. I’m happy with that part. Not with the result obviously.

On whether the ‘draining nature’ of the emotions of a game like this are part of why he is leaving at the end of the season, or if they are part of ‘the addiction’ to the job…

Neither, nor – nothing to do with that. If you see me watching football for a team I like, quite emotional as well. So you can have that as well without being in the dugout. Didn’t think about that, it’s other things. We can talk about my situation as long as you want, I just can’t change my answers, to be honest. When you are winning that [the touchline] is a great position to watch a game; when you are losing it’s pretty much the worst, you stand there. That’s how it is. It’s all fine, I had that all often enough, I don’t know exactly how many games I had now as a manager but I had that quite a few times. It’s nothing to do with that, [like] if we win a game then I want to stay manager, if we lose a game I don’t want to stay manager. [Or] if the atmosphere is great I want to be manager, if the atmosphere is not good I want to leave.

It’s a general decision about something which has nothing to do with these little moments or whatever. I am really sorry if I cannot explain it properly enough. Maybe I have to say it in German and you can all translate it! I’m not sure that will be better, by the way! Nobody has to worry about anything. It’s not that I say, oh my God, that’s so great. I love absolutely everything about the things I do. But I need to be on my top game to do it like I do it. If I feel I am not there then I am not the manager I have to be anymore. That’s how it is. Then you are not only a little bit worse, you are then immediately properly worse and then you are in the wrong place. If you can see that early, you make a decision.

On saying the team was ‘struggling’ and whether that was because of the amount of games they are playing…

Yeah. The problem is we didn’t even know who to take off. For a while it was alright, in 90 minutes everything would have been fine. But then with extra-time, it was like options were now not [there]. We can talk now we bring the kids – we all said that all the time, you have to bring them in the right moment. They are fantastic but it was not the right moment. You just saw, we could have [taken off] Macca definitely, Wataru [Endo] definitely, Darwin [Nunez] definitely, Lucho [Diaz] we did then, Joey [Gomez]. They play all the time the boys and today, this extra-time.

Let me say, if you lose then lose in normal time but not extra-time and then losing that late. That’s obviously close to get the penalty shootout. That would have been the same intensity if we don’t concede the last two goals, but the way we conceded the last two goals you can see as well, obviously we were not on top of our game anymore, gave two balls away. Absolutely no criticism about that. I saw a team who understood the importance of the game and gave absolutely everything. Today it was not enough and that’s what we have to accept now.

On whether there’ll be a psychological impact given the manner of today’s defeat...

No. Wow, you lose a quarter-final in the FA Cup and if there was a mental drain it would be really difficult if we have to deal with human beings like that. We’ve played football for ages and you lose games – if that always leads to a mental state or situation where you need help... it’s just a normal thing. We all fail on a daily basis, maybe without even recognising it – we just get along with it. Today, if you don’t give all then it’s not mentally [draining], but you have to react on it and the rest is [something] we are used to unfortunately since we were kids that from time to time we lose a football game.

I got the question already before, what kind of reaction I expect now? Nothing, they go to their countries and I hope they come back and have nothing [injuries] and then we think about Brighton when they come back and we know who can play again and that will be tricky enough. In general, the team is in an outstanding situation in the moment. That we got through all of these different, difficult situations is absolutely exceptional. For today, we could have won the game and we would have deserved it, but we lost it and Man United deserved it as well. That’s the situation.

On whether the international break ‘comes at a good time’ for Liverpool...

I am not exactly sure when they play the first games. I think probably Thursday or Friday, something like that, so until then it should be fine. I think most of them have friendlies, Wataru I think has qualifiers. Can I make this decision for the managers? Most of them don’t speak the same language and I have no contact. They want them as well in the best possible shape in the summer, so most of them play either Copa or Euros.

So, I hope they don’t have to play now two games [of] 90 minutes and stuff like this, that would be helpful, but it is not in my hands. Does it come in the right moment? If we were playing and the next game would be on Thursday or Friday I would be fine with that as well. It’s never cool when they are not around, I like it a lot when they are here and we can really give players a day off and just treatment and stuff like this. But it is not the first time like this, it is the last time like that [of his time at Liverpool]. Let’s just hope they come back in a good shape and then we go.