Watch: ‘Why does he…?’ – Steve Nicol believes Jurgen Klopp got one big call wrong on Sunday

Steve Nicol has questioned one big decision from Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds boss put his faith in Jarell Quansah to start ahead of Ibrahima Konate in defence, and while the 21-year-old had a decent game overall, unfortunately he was culpable for an error which led to Bruno Fernandes equalising from long range early in the second half.

Speaking on ESPN FC a few hours after the match, Nicol voiced his belief that the manager got it wrong with his choice of centre-back partner for Virgil van Dijk.

He pondered: “Why does he play Quansah today and not Konate? Why? I’ve come to the conclusion that he played Quansah today because I reckon he thinks Quansah is a better passer of the ball.

“That’s the only thing I can come up with, because in terms of experience, this is a big game, and I’d have thought he’d have gone for the experience. You’ve got enough players who are going to be on the ball that you make sure you don’t give anything away.”

This is very much one of those situations where it’s easy to be wise after the fact. Had Liverpool won and/or Quansah not made that costly mistake for Fernandes’ goal, there’d be no post-match questioning of Klopp’s team selection.

It’s fair to state that, if Konate was fit enough for the bench after his knock against Sheffield United last week, he could’ve been able to start, with his pace and big-game experience perhaps making him the safer option alongside Van Dijk.

When it comes to picking the Reds’ starting XI, though, the German has long since earned our trust. Even the best managers in the business can make decisions which appear foolish in hindsight, and the 21-year-old has largely been excellent since breaking into the first team earlier this season.

You can view Nicol’s comments below (from 4:09), via ESPN FC on YouTube: