After Mohamed Salah provided a damning assessment of Liverpool’s season in failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Jurgen Klopp was asked for his thoughts. Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Southampton, Klopp revealed that Salah was in good spirits at the AXA Training Centre and that there was little to read into the post. He stated that it was completely normal for people to express their disappointment in the world of social media and that he had seen Salah smiling in the canteen. Klopp admitted that his team have not met expectations this season, but he insisted that recent form and a sense of “togetherness” mean supporters should remain optimistic ahead of next season. The Reds head to Saint Mary’s on Sunday for the final game of an underwhelming 2022/23, with neither side having anything substantial to play for with their league positions already cemented. Southampton’s relegation to the Championship was mathematically confirmed two weeks ago and Man United’s win over Chelsea consigned the Reds to Europa League football for the first time since reaching the 2016 final in Basel. It was seven straight wins for Liverpool prior to a 1-1 draw in the final home game against Aston Villa and the boss will be hoping to pick up another three points and some much-needed momentum before the summer break.
