Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp accuses Bournemouth's Steve Cook of lacking respect for Loris Karius

The Cherries defender claimed his side had targeted Karius as a weak link during their 4-3 victory over Liverpool last weekend

Klopp is set to retain Karius for the visit of West Ham on Sunday (Getty)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has angrily accused Bournemouth of showing a lack of respect towards goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Bournemouth clinched a dramatic 4-3 victory over Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium last weekend after Karius spilled a shot from Steve Cook in injury time which allowed Nathan Ake to bundle the ball into the net.

Cherries defender Cook subsequently revealed the club had made the 23-year-old German goalkeeper, who moved to Anfield from Bundesliga club Mainz for £4.7m in the summer, a “target” because he was a “weakness in the Liverpool side”.

Klopp is set to retain Karius for the visit of West Ham United on Sunday and was left aghast by Cook’s comments about his compatriot.

“That’s one of the worst things I ever heard in life,” Klopp said. “The guy who won the game – I don’t know who it was – thinks he needs to say something like this after the game.

“Win the game, have respect for the player of the other team. I thought ‘really, what did he say?’

“If they thought before the game that Loris Karius is a weakness then I don’t which game they were looking at.

That’s one of the worst things I ever heard in life.

Jurgen Klopp

“The game before against Sunderland he saved our life in three or four situations. I am really looking forward to playing Bournemouth again because of this.”

Karius began the season on an equal pegging with Belgium international Simon Mignolet, before Klopp decided to make the former his first choice.

An important factor in Klopp’s thinking was the desire to have a goalkeeper with good distribution who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and Karius has appeared superior to Mignolet in that regard.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a similar decision with his decision to replace England No.1 Joe Hart with Claudio Bravo.

“You need players who fit the style,” Klopp explained. “We are a footballing side and sometimes we use the goalkeeper for this.

“We need [him] to make quick decisions. Don’t think I’m pretty special in this I think all coaches would look for the same.”

Nevertheless the scrutiny on Karius will intensify with 12,390 pairs of eyes in Liverpool’s Kop End watching his every step – particularly if West Ham start with former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.

Klopp, though, urged Karius to “close his ears” to external criticism and claimed a collective improvement from his players is required against Slaven Bilic’s side.

“Of course you don’t want to concede goals and that is all about defending of the whole team,” Klopp said.

“Sometimes you need the goalkeeper and he made a lot of good saves in the last few games. And then this not so good save in the last minute against Bournemouth.

“That didn’t feel too good but it is important for development that when you have a situation like this that you feel the right criticism, not the criticism from people who want to send you out of the country or something.”

Karius' error allowed Bournemouth to steal a late winner last weekend (Getty)

Liverpool, meanwhile, are likely to be without striker Daniel Sturridge until the Merseyside derby against Everton on December 19 as he continues to recover from a calf injury.

Sturridge has not featured for the Reds since a 12-minute cameo in the goalless draw with Southampton last month and no timescale has been put on the 27-year-old’s comeback.

“I can't make pressure with making timelines,” Klopp said. “Hopefully he will be back as quick as possible but at this moment I have no idea.

“He is not in training with the team at the moment so we don't have to think about him for with West Ham and Middlesbrough, but maybe then.”