Jurgen Klopp claims Liverpool are suffering for the ‘crime’ of a Premier League fixture backlog.
Thursday’s trip to Manchester United had to be rescheduled as a result of widespread protests outside Old Trafford against the Glazer family ownership.
As a result, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side had to play three times in five days and fielded a weakened side in their 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Tuesday.
That game officially marked the end of the Reds’ title defence with the outcome confirming Manchester City’s third crown in just four seasons.
It also dealt a blow to the fallen champions’ hopes of securing Champions League qualification as the Foxes consolidated their position in the top four.
Klopp backed Solskjaer’s decision to make wholesale changes for Leicester’s visit but believes United’s schedule has hindered his own side’s prospects.
He said: “It was the lineup I expected. Not exactly the lineup but I knew he had to make these changes.
“With all the things that happened and the protests at Manchester that led to that situation, to play Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday is a crime.
“That is not the fault of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the players.
“My question to myself was, ‘Would I have done the same?’ Yes – you have to. We are late in the season, United went to the Europa League final and that means an awful lot of games.
“And now you get Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. That’s not possible. But the weekend after is a weekend off for United.
“I am not the guy doing the schedule but when we thought about how it could work out on the day it got cancelled, there was no Tuesday-Thursday game in it.
“The explanation from the Premier League was that no other team should suffer because of what happened in Manchester and that didn’t work out pretty well – a little bit for West Ham and a little bit for Liverpool.
“But if we don’t qualify for the Champions League it is not the fault of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team selection or the Premier League, it is our fault.
“In this specific case I think it could have been done differently. But we get more and more used to things rarely going in your favour or direction.
“It is just accepted as how it is.”