Brendan Rodgers does not believe we are in a crisis, but I disagree with him. Our match against Crystal Palace was one that left me dumbfounded. I did not know what I was watching, but I knew I was not watching the same team that played last year. Yes, we are without two strikers whose names I am tired of mentioning, but that is no excuse for the remaining squad to perform the way they did.
This evening, we know that nothing less than a win will do if we want any hope of qualifying. That will not be easy. The Bulgarians have won nine of their thirteen home matches this season, with four wins in their last four home encounters. And although they were supposed to be the whipping boys of the group, they beat Basel at home, they took the lead against Real Madrid (but lost 2-1) and were within a minute or two of taking points from Anfield. Compare that to Liverpool’s form of not being able to score in our last three Champion league matches, and having four consecutive defeats in all competitions. Defeats to powerhouses like Hull and Crystal Palace…
Mathematically, all we need to do is better or match Basels’ result with Real Madrid to qualify for the next round. In the 2001/2002 Champions League season, we were in an identical situation and manage to get through…but were we playing as poorly then as we are this year? I’m not sure.
And our competitors…
Basel are in with a chance against Real Madrid at home. The Spanish Giants have already qualified for the next round. Although I doubt if they would want their unbeaten run to end, I have to question whether or not the players would be revved up enough for this one. On paper, Madrid should win, but then on paper, Liverpool should also.
Follow Kurt on Twitter @kurtellis2
Kurt Ellis is a lifelong Liverpool fan living in South Africa. His first novel, By Any Means, was published by Human & Rousseau Publishers in May 2014. It is a gritty, coming of age crime thriller featuring a young Liverpool FC fan. The novel is available on Amazon. To purchase, you can follow the link below. http://amzn.to/Zj532F