Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that referee Michael Oliver prevented him from changing his system moments before Chelsea's equaliser during their 1-1 draw at Anfield this evening.
The manager was lining up Adam Lallana as a substitute for some time before seeing Willian's attempted cross float over the head of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet five minutes from time as the champions came away from Merseyside with a point.
Klopp accused Chelsea of employing defensive tactics, but insists that was "happy" with his own side's performance and believes that the result can be classed as a satisfactory one once the pain of conceding so late has subsided.
"I think I need a little bit of time to be happy. I'm happy about the performance, how we took the game. It's a little bit more difficult when Chelsea played with eight defenders more or less," he told reporters.
"After a week like this (long trips away in the Champions League) we have both had, it was one of the better draws I've seen in my life. You need a bit of luck and we didn't have it again. We wanted to change the system before the equaliser and the referee didn't allow us. We wanted to go to five at the back, to change the situation and it's not too cool to have conceded.
"Of course, if you're at home 1-0 up, you want the three points, that's my problem at the moment. It was a really good game and at the end, it's one point against Chelsea. There will be a moment tonight when I think the result is OK - but not now."
Liverpool would have climbed into the top four with victory this afternoon, but as it stands they remain one point adrift of Tottenham Hotspur.
Barney Corkhill
