Liverpool have been knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea in the fifth round to destroy treble dreams and that’s not good enough.
Jurgen Klopp had a golden opportunity to take this outrageous group of players – which feature several, genuine world class footballers – to unprecedented success.
This was a golden opportunity for Liverpool to equal what Sir Alex Ferguson managed to do with Manchester United, and do it better.
Defeat at Chelsea has ruined all of that, and that’s not good enough.
Liverpool’s 22 point lead at the top of the Premier League should have meant Klopp could put an eye on the treble. The league, the FA Cup and the Champions League. Anything less will be a disservice to the greatness of the team, to the unrelenting accumulation of points and records.
Winning the Premier League for the first time in 30 years is unbelievable, don’t get me wrong. It’s a lifetime achievement, something that many supporters have never experienced or never thought they would experience.
Lifting that trophy will cap a tremendous couple of seasons under Klopp, but it shouldn’t be enough and it still doesn’t reflect the ability within the squad.
The FA Cup should have been more than winnable, especially with the side the German put out against Chelsea. It was a strong team, but for some reason they’ve slipped off the rails and the manager doesn’t seem to know how to stop it.
And, you get the sense that he’s not really that bothered about missing out on this one.
Champions League glory needs to be set well within the crosshairs, despite going down to Atletico in the first leg. But not if Liverpool keep playing like they have over the past month.
Winning the Premier League will be unbelievable and an incredible release, but it won’t be good enough and it won’t reflect how good this team has been over the course of two years.