Liverpool were abject in their 2-0 loss at Everton on Wednesday night, with a dreadful night dissected by two despondent Reds supporters.
Jurgen Klopp‘s men displayed the same wastefulness in front of goal and lack of intensity seen in recent weeks, on one of the worst days of the season.
Liverpool’s season has completely petered out after threatening so much and there is now a feeling that the end of the campaign can’t come soon enough.
Here, Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) and Dan Clubbe (@dan_clubbe) discuss an awful night, Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and more.
Just how bad was that for you? Is the title gone?
DAN: Dreadful and brutal just about does it justice I think.
It felt like a 90-odd-minute display of all the issues that have befallen us in recent weeks as the season has started to unravel all horrendously packed into one.
For me, the title has gone, not just because we’re relying on an unlikely miracle from our rivals, but also because I have major concerns over our ability to win the last four at this point.
HENRY: I couldn’t agree more. What a damp squib this has turned into!
I feel like I’ve seen that game about 20 times this season – slow start, sloppy losses of possession and needless fouls given away.
It was alarming just how little fight was on show – the life just looks to have been sucked out of both Jurgen and his players.
Really depressing and I’m looking forward to the summer now. The title has long gone.
Are there any individuals that you’ve lost faith in? Nunez, for example?
DAN: Lost faith might be a touch strong for me right now.
Although undoubtedly the question marks are growing in my mind with the likes of Nunez, in particular.
Whilst he clearly brings loads to the table, running as hot and as cold as he does feels a tad unsustainable unless those around are always available to pick up the slack, which hasn’t been the case.
HENRY: I’m going to be a bit more harsh than Dan!
I’ve lost patience and faith in Nunez – his finishing is nowhere near reliable enough to be Liverpool’s leading striker for years to come.
He’s 25 this year, so he’s not a kid!
I would consider getting rid of him this summer if the right offer came along – his all-round game is too messy and unpredictable.
Diaz is also too wasteful – in fairness he was the only shining light last night – and with Salah completely out of sorts, those two haven’t stepped up enough.
Is it time to sell Salah? Or is that reactionary?
DAN: I wouldn’t say it’s reactionary because overall his performances this season haven’t been spectacular to his previous standard, and for a long time, the output was covering over some below-par displays.
We are now seeing what happens when the goals and assists dry up and the performances remain poor.
In terms of his future, it would be naive not to think there will be huge discussions this summer given the fact he’s entering the final year of his contract and we all know about the strong interest from Saudi Arabia.
As with a few in the squad, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens next with an almost entirely new immediate hierarchy.
HENRY: I think Mo is just far from fully fit and short on confidence, and still has so much to offer in his career.
That being said, if a massive Saudi offer arrived, you would surely have to consider it, seeing as he turns 32 in the summer.
I can easily envisage Michael Edwards giving his exit the green light.
I would prefer him to stay and think he still has two or three years in him at a high level, but he is a shadow of himself currently.
As someone said last night, he’s started kicking the ball like an eight-year-old, which is harsh on eight-year-olds!
Finally, do you almost feel that Klopp is leaving at the right time?
DAN: Wow! I would never say Klopp is leaving at the right time because I never want him to go, but there can be no doubt that for himself it’s the right time and recent results are probably further evidence of that.
Seeing him almost crestfallen on the touchline at Goodison was horrible and he certainly has the look of a man who needs a long break from the intense pressure of the job.
Also, from a squad point of view, we’re in such a healthy place despite the question marks and there is definitely cause for optimism with what comes next.
Having said that, he has overseen darker times than this at the club and brought us out the other side, so if he was staying I’d back him to get it right without doubt.
HENRY: I’m with Dan – I don’t want him to go!
But as he says, it’s the right time to move on for Jurgen’s sake – those images of him sitting down at Goodison were hard to watch.
He has nothing left to give.
It’s now a case of just getting through these last four games, giving Jurgen the greatest send-off imaginable and then embarking on a new era.
Nobody can replace Klopp, but let’s get behind the next manager and hope he brings a freshness to proceedings.
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