Tim Sherwood has offered Liverpool fans a crumb of comfort after the Reds’ elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
Despite a 20-minute spell in the second half in which Arne Slot’s side were dominant, they were ultimately beaten 2-0 at Anfield to complete a 4-0 aggregate defeat to PSG, who Stephen Warnock acknowledged were on a ‘different level’ to their opponents over the past week.
Kopites would’ve had legitimate grievances with the overturning of a penalty which had initially been awarded for a foul by Willian Pacho on Alexis Mac Allister, only for the referee to reverse his original decision after consulting the pitchside VAR monitor.
Sherwood felt that Liverpool were hard done by over that call, and despite the deflating result, he saw enough in the Reds’ performance to believe that they will be back in the Champions League next season.
The former Blackburn midfielder said on Sky Sports News: “Liverpool were the better team tonight. I still think it was a penalty [for Liverpool]. There was contact into the back of the leg. He is entitled to go down with that contact.
“If they play like that, they will 100% qualify for the Champions League. This tie was lost in the first leg. Why didn’t they go over there and have a go?”
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Liverpool can take pride in how they performed for the most part tonight, but ultimately they weren’t clinical enough when they were very much on top in the opening 20 minutes of the second half and left themselves too much to do after last week’s tame surrender in Paris.
The Reds don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves, though, as they now have six matches to secure a top-five finish in the Premier League and ensure that they will be playing in the Champions League again in 2026/27.
As it stands, Slot’s team occupy that all-important fifth place and have a four-point cushion over nearest pursuers Chelsea, but LFC have a tough run-in to the season which sees them play five of the current top eight, along with a Crystal Palace side who’ve been their Kryptonite.
What Liverpool must do in each of those half-dozen games is replicate the purpose and attitude they showed against PSG tonight, whilst adding that all-important cutting edge with the chances that they do create.
The mood is understandably sombre after the Reds’ European dreams were extinguished, but if they can maintain their place in the top five of the Premier League and ensure Champions League for next term, at least there’ll be some sliver of positivity to take from what has been a dreadfully disappointing campaign.
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Remember PSG were in the best shape, well rested. English FA should have gave Liverpool a rest like French FA does for PSG. Things would have been different.
Supporters & fans of LFC had been vocal about the incompetence of Slot as a coach to an extent of expression their desires of him to be sacked.It is therefore not surprising that LFC have been shambolic in performances but the owners turned deaf ears.Now LFC are deservedly out of CL and now need miracles to qualify for CL in 2027.
LFC hierarchy have failed LFC. They failed to sign Semenyo & Gueh in January. If they heeded advices, the club would not be in this mess,even if they wouldn’t win the league but would qualify for CL.As a fan,I am anxious about the coming fixtures, like against Everton, Man.utd and Aston villa.Those matches will give us an idea of whether we will qualify or not.One can say there’s a duplication in my assertion, if what you have been clamoring for something, you can’t stop talking about it until is resolved.
I don’t know what game Sherwood was watching? We had one half chance in the game from van dijk. We were toothless and played far too cautious in the first half. Second half weren’t much better, as soon as we pushed men forward they scored. We went out with a wimper. Why didn’t Salah and Rio start the game? Why was szoboszlai playing so deep?
Totally outclassed in the two games, as usual slot looking for excuses blames var. It wasn’t a penalty.
Can Liverpool make top five? Even if we do slot should still be sacked. It’s been a poor season.
Th recruitment hasn’t helped but slot had a say on all the signings. Woeful decision to sell Diaz, wirtz has been a massive flop. What did he do last night? Nothing. Go and look at goals and assists chart in the premier league wirtz is nowhere to be seen. Frimpong injured again that’s the fourth time this season , another flop. Kirkez too lightweight.
We need a complete rebuild in the summer starting with the manager. At least several players, don’t count on FSG to spend. Get the next manager wrong and we’ll sink into oblivion under charlatan owners FSG.
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