Jason Cundy claims Liverpool’s season has gone from remarkable to a huge disappointment after their hopes of winning back-to-back Champions Leagues were shattered by Atletico Madrid.
The Reds have just the Premier League to focus on now after they crashed out of Europe with a 3-2 extra-time defeat at Anfield on Wednesday night, losing their last-16 tie 4-2 on aggregate.
A few weeks ago, Liverpool were still unbeaten in the league and were fighting for the Champions League and FA Cup.
Now, what had looked to be one of the greatest campaigns in recent football history – after a record-breaking start – could see the club end with just one major trophy.
In fairness, it is the one all fans wanted, with Jurgen Klopp’s team closing in on Liverpool’s first ever Premier League title to end the club’s 30-year wait to be English champions again.
But compare that to last season, where they won a sixth European Cup while title rivals Manchester City won ALL THREE domestic trophies, there is also the sense of what could have been.
And Sports Bar host Cundy says they should have achieved more and have only got themselves to blame, after a game against Atletico they really should have won.
“They’re going to be Premier League champions, and if you asked most Liverpool fans at the beginning of the season they would have taken that,” said the former Chelsea defender.
“But when you get to where they were on January 1st and enjoy a season no one could have envisaged, and it ends up like this
“That’s true! All Liverpool have done this season, if you want to really grind it down and be brutal, all they have done is equal Leicester and Blackburn.
“And they have only got themselves to blame.”
Liverpool dominated Diego Siemone’s side in the second-leg clash at Anfield and laying siege on their goal in the first 90 minutes, but their lack of efficiency cost them.
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The Reds created 34 chances against the stubborn Spaniards but only landed 11 on target, and for the most part they were thwarted by the inspired form of goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino put the hosts ahead in the tie and had Anfield bouncing, but the crowd was silenced as a huge mistake from no.2 Adrian allowed Marcos Llorente to pull a goal back, and Atleti struck twice more in extra-time to seal their smash-and-grab victory.
“Liverpool will be looking back at that game wondering how on earth they have not progressed into the next round of the Champions League,” Cundy added.
“They had enough chances, they had enough possession, but they were wasteful. Oblak was excellent and defensively Atleti stayed in the game, they hung in there, they rode their luck.
“Everyone is going to talk about Adrian’s mistake, but Liverpool had so many chances to get that second goal and take the tie away from Atleti, and they were wasteful.
Atleti had half the shots on target Liverpool did but they took their chances when they came along.
“Simeone has done a number on them. He knew the game he wanted to play and that’s the only way they could have gone through over two legs against Liverpool.
“You’ve got to give Simeone credit. He went into this game with a plan and yes they were fortunate, yes Liverpool were wasteful, but he knew those moments would come.”