Is Klopp right by saying, Liverpool have not blown Champions League chances?
The feeling of getting the wind punched out of you, is a mild but similar feeling to what Liverpool accomplished yesterday against Crystal Palace.
The hope and backing you keep for the club, sucked out of you in one performance, is how this specific fixture got you feeling on a blue Monday.
While they were busy in their FA cup ties or winning their league fixtures. We were busy getting a beatdown by an ex-Liverpool player. Something new to the club? Not at all!
Liverpool did well until yesterday’s home defeat. Keeping up in the chase, playing for a 3rd or 4th place. Unlike last season’s midtable fight for 6th, 7th and 8th. We cannot deny the squad their improvement. Despite this improvement, we can constructively criticise them for not seeing out 1-0 ball games, throughout this season.
Does this spell certain doom for this campaign’s main goal? For me, no. There’s plenty to do for other teams. They have more fixtures to play, which still adds its own type of pressure. Yes, Man United have been the team in better form, but they have tougher fixtures in their pursuit.
This is how tough it is playing for top stops in the league. Klopp is right in saying, our Champion’s League hopes are still intact.
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The manager had this to say, regarding Liverpool’s final and upcoming fixtures:
"“I know there are a lot of people around thinking, ‘Oh my God, Champions League slips through our fingers again’, but only if we let it slip.“We have to try everything and we will try everything. Our job is to squeeze everything out of the season we can squeeze. Obviously it is not easy for us, that is not a surprise.“There is one month to go; one wonderful football month with four games, so we will not give up, 100 per cent not.“The boys have delivered a lot of this excitement, but now it’s really about serious football. Do what you have to do, and we will do.”"
He, like us, are impatiently awaiting the return of Englishman, Adam Lallana. Klopp hopeful he will make the away fixture to Watford.
"“Maybe Adam Lallana (out injured since the end of March) is coming back for the next game, which of course would help us in different situations and that’s good.“We have now five or six days to train until Watford, so we will use it and then go to Watford. It will not be easy (to win) but possible and that’s enough.”"
Possibility is all we need at the moment. With games hard to predict after inconsistency has been on display time and time again this season. It’s difficult to say how Liverpool will turn up against another struggling side, Watford.
Next: Liverpool’s player ratings in Crystal Palace defeat
Good on Klopp in backing his boys to finish strong. Let’s assume all the results of the catch-up fixtures go in our favour.
You can read the full article on skySPORTS.