It’s fair to say that the media have been critical of Liverpool for many months, but this was as scathing as they have been all season.
The Reds suffered another grim night, even though their 2-0 defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain could ultimately have been worse.
After the game, the media didn’t hold back in their negativity.
“Liverpool were played off park and got away with one”
Writing on X, David Lynch argued the scoreline was kind on the Reds, as PSG tore them to shreds:
“Liverpool were supposed to use last season’s defeat to PSG to learn where they could improve and close the gap over the summer.
“Instead, they completely ripped up their squad and have ended up as a far worse team.
“Pretty fortunate to only lose 2-0 tonight.”
ESPN’s Beth Lindop assessed yet another evening to forget for Arne Slot:
“A chastening night for Liverpool.
“Better attitude and application than against Man City but there is such an enormous gulf between them and this PSG team.
“Anything is possible at Anfield but it feels like an ominous task for a side looking so shorn of confidence and creativity.”
Lewis Steele of the Mail, damningly and correctly, claimed Liverpool have “gone backwards” in a year:
“These teams went toe to toe a year ago, then Liverpool spent £450m, PSG only £100m (and sold the best player in that tie, Gigi Donnarumma)…but one team has gone hugely backwards and the gap between them now huge.
“LFC played off park and got away with one that it’s only 2-0.”
“Thursday nights in the Europa are on the horizon”
The Telegraph‘s Mike McGrath can’t help but feel that Europa League football is beckoning:
“The reality is their season is now going to rest on whether they finish in the Premier League top five and reconvene with Europe’s elite next season.
“This current team is playing like Thursday nights in the Europa are on the horizon.”
Slot’s tactics left a lot to be desired, with the Mail‘s Lewis Browning unimpressed:
“It was a back three for Liverpool today. I didn’t think it would be – I thought it would be Frimpong right wing when I saw the team. But it very much was a three. A five, even. And it cost Liverpool in forward areas.
“There were a few reports last year that Slot is opposed to defensive football and he’s been critical of some opponents like that this season.
“Today, he set his team up like that, and it didn’t pay off.”
“Liverpool’s confidence is at an all-time low”
Andy Hunter of the Guardian said it was better than Man City last weekend, but still…
“Liverpool leave Paris with hope, having arrived with none, but will require a dramatic recovery just to lay a glove on the European champions at Anfield next Tuesday.
[…]
“There was no collapse from Liverpool in the manner of Saturday’s FA Cup exit at Manchester City and a resolve that was painfully absent from recent matches, but they were a distant second best throughout.”
Speaking on the Match of the Day, Stephen Warnock gave Liverpool almost no chance of mounting a comeback:
“It feels like Liverpool’s confidence is at an all-time low.
“We’ve seen some memorable European comebacks at Anfield before now – from 3-0 down against Barcelona in 2019 to win the second leg 4-0, for example – but it feels like they are a million miles away from doing anything like that at the moment.”