Thursday night was a joyous occasion for Man United as they ran riot against a poor Chelsea side, but their entrance into next season’s Champions League left one Liverpool star ‘totally devastated.’
The Reds have had a poor season by their recent standards, with Jurgen Klopp only managing to arrest the slide towards the back end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Were it not for their seven wins in a row that began with a 6-1 win at Leeds United in mid-April, Liverpool might’ve been looking at having to play in the Europa Conference League next season, or perhaps a campaign with no European football at all.
Even playing in the Europa League next season isn’t good enough for Mo Salah, who took to Twitter to voice his thoughts.
‘I’m totally devastated,’ he wrote.
‘There’s absolutely no excuse for this. We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed. We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum.
‘I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down.’
For a player who clearly wants to be the best in every match he plays, taking the blame in the way that he has and on behalf of the team deserves respect.
Far too often players come out with what appears to be insincere platitudes, but Salah’s words appear to be genuine and heartfelt.
In 2023/24, the Reds need to ensure that the current season was just a one-off and that in a year’s time, they’ll be back dining at European football’s top table.
That will be as much Salah’s responsibility as any other player of course.
More must-reads: