Former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks has taken aim at Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

After victory at Stoke City, Crooks said Klopp's full-time embrace with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was a cop out, after failing to fix the Reds' defensive troubles.

"Hugging Mignolet in sheer relief that his keeper has kept him in with a massive shout of Champions League football next season is a bit of a cop out for me," said Crooks in his team of the week column for the BBC.

"If the German manager had got his back four right it's difficult to see how Chelsea could be 12 points clear of the Reds with six games left to play."

He added: "He's taken a fair amount of stick during his time at Liverpool but the hug from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the match seems to suggest goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was not just in good form but had done something quite special."