Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he can't control touchline rages as Premier League pressure takes its toll

The Reds boss admitted the pressure of being a Premier League manager makes it impossible to keep your cool

Klopp's touchline rages are becoming the talk of the Premier League (Getty)

Jurgen Klopp admits he will be unable to curb his touchline behaviour and will inevitably face brushes with the FA’s disciplinary arm after Jose Mourinho questioned his actions this week.

Liverpool’s manager was involved in an angry exchange with fourth official Neil Swarbrick during his team’s draw with Chelsea on Tuesday only to reveal later that Swarbrick made light of the incident and even praised him for his passion.

Mourinho used that example 24 hours later, during a spirited complaint that he and Manchester United are treated differently, claiming that he was threatened with a third sending-off of the season for similar behaviour during his team’s goalless draw with Hull.

Jurgen Klopp was speaking ahead of his side's clash with Hull on Saturday (Getty)

Klopp agreed that, in an ideal world, high-profile managers should act as role models for the good of the sport but conceded that the unique pressures of Premier League football make it impossible to do so.

“I agree 100 per cent,” said Klopp. “The problem is only that to know about it doesn’t change the moment.

“That is why we accept the fines to say ‘never we will do anything like that last game.’ In this mood I can say 100 per cent I won’t do it but it would be a lie to give a guarantee to say that it would never happen again.

“That’s why there are fines for it. If something is too much then [smacks hand] give us a fine. It hurts and it’s good.

Jurgen Klopp admitted he may take some hefty fines for his conduct (PA)

“That is a special situation but the situation in a professional football league is different to that in an amateur league. The pressure is completely different and all that stuff.

“If someone from a fifth, sixth or seventh league thinks someone in the Premier League does this so I can do that, he has a completely different situation. It is another job - it is more for fun.”

The issue of referees’ performances, and the attitude shown by big-name managers such as Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Klopp towards them, has been one of the major talking points of the current season.

During his outburst on Wednesday, Mourinho was also at pains to point out that he had not pushed an official - something which Wenger was found guilty of in a recent game against Burnley.

Mourinho has insisted he wouldn't get away with the same behaviour as Klopp (Getty)

Klopp conceded that such behaviour should be met with a punishment from the powers that be but also claimed that the pressures of a Premier League touchline are to blame for making normally reasonable managers behave in such a way.

“It is not that we have the character to go at the ref,” he said. “Do we think Arsene Wenger is a person who when he sees the fourth official he is going to punch him or whatever?

“That is not how he is and everybody knows it - it happens because of the circumstances and not the personality. Circumstances are pretty special and we have all kind of pressure.

“We all know football is not emotionally important but tell us in this moment. Some things are more important but unfortunately that is not true in this moment.

“No excuse and that is why there are fines for it. You do too much then ‘Go!’ to the stands and pay money, three games ban, whatever. I don’t like it if it happens but I have to accept it. It is my fault but that is not to say I can stop it.

The United manager has been trying to engage Klopp in a war of words (Getty)

“I really try to be nice but in moments where you feel it is not fair - I see the penalty and I think yeah he can whistle it, there was contact - but four days agao we had a similar situation and nobody whistled or spoke about it.

“Behind a manager is still a human being and we are all weak in parts. A few of these weaknesses lead to difficult situations around and not because we are disrespectful. We know how difficult it is.”

Klopp clearly had Swarbrick to thank and admitted that he felt foolish analysing his words to Swarbrick, and looking at photographs of the flashpoint, at the end of Tuesday’s game with Chelsea.

“Sometimes you feel it in a moment and you look like you look,” he said. “And you say the things you say: “Nobody can beat us”. I never heard a more silly sentence in our situation after three defeats!

“And I looked how I looked. I was really lucky in the way the fourth official reacted and I hope he didn’t get in trouble because of how he reacted - ‘Oh send Klopp away or whatever.’

“That was a reaction from a human being. And as a result I could finish the game on the touchline. Then I saw pictures and you see your face. I said what he said and that is how it was.”