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Roy Keane: Liverpool bad Premier League champions and are making excuses
Roy Keane has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool, labelling them 'bad champions' after their defeat to Manchester City.
The 4-1 scoreline was their third successive loss at Anfield, with a double error from normally-reliable goalkeeper Alisson Becker proving costly.
With injuries wreaking havoc on their campaign and Jurgen Klopp claiming City got a two-week break due to a coronavirus outbreak at the club, Premier League winner Keane blasted the manor of the Reds' title defence.
"They are making a lot of excuses. To me they are bad champions," Keane said on Sky Sports after City moved 10 points clear (with a game in hand) of Liverpool in fourth.
"I just don't mean today - you can lose a game of football but I can't figure this group out. I'm looking at them during the week against Brighton; Brighton were comfortable. You can be beaten in a game, but there's a way to get beaten.
"I think they've all believed the hype over the last year or two. We spoke about some sort of drop off, but they are playing for a big team in Liverpool. It's as if they won the league last year, got a bit carried away and believed their own hype as if they are going to beat teams."
Watch: Roy Keane's rant on Liverpool...
🗣 "They are making a lot of excuses, to me they've been bad champions."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 7, 2021
Roy Keane has not been impressed with Liverpool's mentality this season pic.twitter.com/jjxyCdnhwM
🗣 "If you keep performing like that it will be another 30 years before you win the league title."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 7, 2021
Roy Keane on Liverpool's performances this season & the list of excuses made for their poor run pic.twitter.com/PPFIgeaJeH
Keane continued: "In my mindset when you won a title, your next challenge was always, 'can you do it again?'
"I never got the impression from this group, from their interviews, even their manager last year saying: 'What's the next step for Liverpool?'
"It was almost 'let's enjoy this', obviously it was a long wait for them, 30 years, but I never heard the players coming out and saying they want to do it again. That's the key. Now they're talking about trying to get into the top four from winning the league last year.
"People keep telling me Liverpool are a great club and if they are a huge club they have to deal with setbacks, is that not part of the game? If everyone had their players fit all of the time it would be fantastic. If you look at Man City and the run they have been on, you could say they are missing their best two players."
Keane: It'll be another 30 years if they perform like that
The Reds have been without key defenders Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez for the majority of the term while goalkeeper Alisson Becker has also been missing for periods, but his return against City was overshadowed by two costly errors.
"Liverpool had a strong team out and I know their two centre halves are missing but they still had their best attacking players on the pitch, their best goalkeeper available, international players in midfield. After the game Jurgen Klopp said maybe the goalkeeper's feet was cold - I know it was tongue in cheek, but that's a new one. It's excuses after excuses, Jurgen said about Man City having a break due to the virus, it just goes on and on.
"We keep saying 'it's a one off', 'a freak season', 'corona' - just get on with it. Perform like champions, you are Liverpool Football Club. If you keep performing like that it will be another 30 years before you win the league title, trust me."
Richards and Souness on Liverpool 1-4 Man City
Fellow pundit Micah Richards feels his old team Manchester City are in the driving seat to win the Premier League for a third time in four seasons.
“After that performance, I fully believe it is City’s title to lose now,” the ex-England defender said.
Graeme Souness was part of a Liverpool side to win five top-flight titles in six years and is under no illusions the title challenge is over for Klopp’s men.
“I don’t see them coming back from that,” the 67-year-old said. “The race is run for Liverpool and the big thing now is concentrating on getting in the top four because that is not a given.”