Football news - Paul Parker: Jurgen Klopp's decision to stay away from FA Cup replay is 'selfish'

Jurgen Klopp should be inside Anfield tonight. If his first-team players need a rest, fine, but he hasn’t been running around. He should pop in for the game – even if he watches from a seat in the stands – as it will help those young players to know their boss is there.

Anyway, it’s selfish. All Klopp knows is the Premier League and the Champions League, he isn’t fussed about anything – or anyone – else. Shrewsbury earned their replay and a chance to bolster their finances, but it’s being ripped away from them by Liverpool.

I have no problem with players who have played a lot of football missing the game. But those who have barely played? The likes of Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Takumi Minamino? It doesn’t make sense to rest squads of 23-24 players – that’s the whole purpose of having a squad. The owners must be looking at the amount they’ve invested and thinking they’re not getting maximum value. It’s mad.

This wouldn’t have happened at Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson had too much respect for his young players to do what Klopp is planning. He wouldn’t throw them in collectively and say, ‘Get on with it!’. It’s like putting lambs to the slaughter.

There can’t be a repeat of what happened to the young kids against Aston Villa [a 5-0 thrashing in the League Cup at Villa Park]. They should be playing with experienced players, those who need minutes themselves. Liverpool will try and deny it, but a defeat against Shrewsbury could damage careers before they’ve taken off as 'Shrewsbury edge brave Liverpool youngsters' is replaced with 'League One's Shrewsbury humiliate Liverpool at Anfield' when the game is recalled in a few years' time.

Liverpool are putting their Treble hopes in jeopardy. If it’s there, why not try to keep the dream alive? How many Liverpool fans are thinking they can go and match United? They love saying how many Champions Leagues they’ve won, so imagine their joy should they equal United’s greatest achievement.

I don’t see how going for three trophies now is any different from 1998-99. If anything, it was tougher back then. The games were more physically demanding and competitive, the players were stronger, and the pitches were far worse. Plus United didn’t have the luxury of a 22-point lead in the Premier League.

And in all this, you almost forget about Shrewsbury. Through no fault of their own, they are being denied a chance to showcase themselves against proper opposition at Anfield. If that’s the mentality – 'we don’t care, it’s just about us' – then football has lost its values. The Premier League is already drifting towards being like La Liga and Serie A, where the little clubs stay little because the big clubs don’t want to risk losing their status. If this carries on, this country may lose its love for the game.