Following Mohamed Salah’s “devastated” apology to fans after Liverpool’s failure to finish in the top four, Tim Ellis praises the Egyptian’s winning mentality. Last year, some fans may have been surprised when Salah talked about revenge against Real Madrid in Paris. However, it is a testament to his character that he is allowed to express himself in a way that others wouldn’t even dare to. His comments have highlighted the despair that has come with Liverpool’s failure to reach the top four, despite their reinvigorated style of play. This disappointment is further emphasised by the fact that they have reached three out of the last five finals.
The Reds will enter the final day without anything to play for but the shirt, which is a stark contrast to their usual mission-oriented attitude. They will travel to bottom of the league Southampton, while Leeds, Leicester and neighbours Everton fight for their lives. This was not remotely predictable way back on that balmy July evening at the King Power when Liverpool throttled a cruise control Manchester City.
After the heartbreak of City’s late late show against Aston Villa and then a difficult evening in Paris, Klopp’s warriors needed to lift another trophy sharpish. However, they looked anonymous, listless and leggy at Fulham and this has been a recurring theme throughout the season. Liverpool have been unable to plant the conquest flag and this has made missing out at the top table of Europe all the more painful.
Klopp needs to rediscover Liverpool’s sense of purpose and intensity in order to make next season bearable. They are currently 10 unbeaten in the league and they will hope to extend that by some distance when the Premier League opens its gates again in mid-August. Ultimately, this team needs to embrace the change and make it work for them.