Ia memberitahu, bukan sahaja dalam kata-kata Jurgen Klopp tetapi dalam sikapnya, apabila dia berkata tidak akan ada filem besar mengenai musim ini dan mengakui ‘kita perlu melaluinya juga’.
Menceritakan dalam kekecewaan yang Trent Alexander-Arnold bertindak balas apabila sepakan percuma ke gawangnya merempuh Jordan Henderson dan apabila bek sayap itu terkeluar pada separuh masa kedua tanpa pelukan biasa daripada pengurusnya. Dan menceritakan cara pemain Liverpool bercakap selepas itu .
Kereta api terakhir pulang dari Euston ke Liverpool pada hari Sabtu adalah pada 7.37 malam, lapan minit sebelum sepak mula, dan anda tidak akan terlepas banyak jika anda menangkapnya.
‘Ia bukan mudah, mari kita kekalkan cara itu,’ kata Virgil van Dijk. ‘Kami, dengan empat atau lima tahun lepas, manja dengan semua yang kami lalui.’
‘Standard yang kami tetapkan adalah astronomi jadi mudah untuk hilang dalam hal itu, tetapi kami tidak boleh dibebani beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini. Kami perlu bangkit dan hidup pada masa ini,’ kata James Milner.
Liverpool dikecewakan sekali lagi pada hari Sabtu dengan penurunan mereka menjadi semakin penting
Crystal Palace – pasukan yang tidak memenangi tahun kalendar ini – menghadapi sedikit masalah untuk menghalang pelawat
Trent Alexander-Arnold merumuskan kekecewaan dan kekecewaan yang melimpah ruah dalam barisan Liverpool pada masa ini
Kali ini tahun lepas, pasukan Klopp menewaskan Leeds 6-0 dan berada tiga mata di belakang puncak Liga Perdana, memenangi Piala Carabao dan masuk dengan rembatan ke empat kali ganda. Pada hari Sabtu, mereka terakhir pada Perlawanan Hari Ini.
‘We haven’t become a bad team overnight,’ said Milner. ‘But we know how football works and there’s been a lot to factor in — a lot of games last year, a few injuries, a World Cup in the middle, new signings coming in and integrating and things not quite happening for us.
‘People ask you for a reason and it sounds like excuses, but we have to be better, it’s simple as.’
This felt like a nothing game and Liverpool under Klopp have rarely had those. But that is where they are at the moment — a team who have declined staggeringly.
Crystal Palace have not won since New Year’s Eve but they kept Liverpool out with relative ease. That only happened once last season and that was in a game in which Mohamed Salah missed a penalty. Yes, they missed the dynamism of the injured Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, but week by week, the impact of Sadio Mane leaving is even clearer. He epitomised Klopp’s Liverpool with his directness and ruthlessness.
That Klopp had to revert to a midfield of Milner, Henderson, and Naby Keita after a schooling by Real Madrid in midweek perhaps summed it all up. At their current level, would they get into Palace’s starting 11 or most Premier League midfields?
Keita was taken off at half-time and neither Milner or Henderson set the game alight. Milner, 37, moved to right back when Alexander-Arnold was substituted and Fabinho, who came on, is enduring a horror season.
Sentimentality, a lack of investment and a lack of forward planning have led to stagnation and, undoubtedly, there will be changes this summer. Keita will go for free while Milner is also out of contract. Panic buy Arthur Melo is yet to play. If you are Jude Bellingham, does a move to Anfield still look enticing?
More than anything, it is how bland this side have become, often one-dimensional and easily worked out by the opposition. There will be tough decisions to make and if it was not evident already then, it is now. But this is still a team with world class players and a world-class manager and it would not be a surprise to see them competing again soon if they invest well.
The midfield Jurgen Klopp had to resort to after the humbling in midweek sums up their issues
Would James Milner and Jordan Henderson at their current level make most Premier League midfields?
When things are not going your way, football can be tough. Liverpool have hit the woodwork 14 times — including twice against Palace — this season, more than any other Premier League side.
‘Setiap minggu adalah besar sekarang, setiap perlawanan adalah besar,’ kata Milner. ‘Musim ini tidak berjalan seperti yang kami inginkan, tetapi terdapat begitu banyak mata untuk dimainkan.’
Selepas seminggu untuk dilupakan, minggu hadapan lebih bermakna, dengan Liverpool melayan Wolves pada hari Rabu dan Manchester United hujung minggu depan.
Dengan Newcastle bertandang ke Manchester City dan Tottenham di Wolves, jika Liverpool memanfaatkannya, mereka masih boleh berada hanya tiga mata daripada empat teratas. Ia mungkin bukan pengakhiran Hollywood yang diidamkan Klopp pada bulan Ogos, tetapi mereka akan mengambil tempat Liga Juara-Juara sekarang.
