Why Gary Neville's suggestion Liverpool should tank the Champions League will be kicked into touch

Alex Broun 21:41 17/09/2018
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  • Gary Neville on the sidelines

    As a former Manchester United star, Gary Neville might have just been stirring the pot, but his comments certainly hit the mark.

    The Red Devils legend suggested that, in his eyes, as Liverpool have an excellent chance this year of winning the Premier League they should kick their Champions League campaign “into touch”.

    Reds fans not surprisingly went into uproar and manager Jurgen Klopp even felt the need to respond saying: “How would that work? We don’t play Champions League or what?

    “Gary should come over and tell me exactly how that works. How do you prepare for a game when you don’t focus on it? I don’t understand, do we play our kids or what?”

    Neville as a pundit, like his colleague Jamie Carragher, is known for his incendiary remarks – trying to grab attention – but even for Neville his remarks showed a blinding lack of both knowledge and respect for Liverpool.

    If Manchester United were in the same position, having made a perfect start to the Premier League campaign, would Neville suggest they tank the Champions League this season? Never.

    He would expect his great club to put in a wholehearted effort in both the Premier League and Champions League, as well as the FA Cup, to try and win any silverware available.

    Neville’s reasoning is that there is a big drop in quality from Liverpool’s front three to the reserves.

    Well here’s news for Neville – there’s a big drop in quality from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to most other front threes in world football.

    Clearly the Mancunian has also not been watching Liverpool’s early season matches as he would have noticed the impressive form of Daniel Sturridge, who would be a certain starter at many other Premier League sides.

    Or taken a look at the team sheet where he might have seen Switzerland star Xherdan Shaqiri as an unused reserve for most matches.

    The lack of respect is equally galling.

    Liverpool spent £176.95 million in the transfer window for exactly this reason – to build up a squad capable of fighting on all fronts.

    Klopp wants his team to be playing the big glamour matches, like the opening Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Tuesday night, and the Reds’ fans crave it.

    They want the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to be regular visitors and looking at their upcoming fixture list – which includes PSG, Chelsea (twice) and Manchester City – rather than cringe, as they would have done in recent seasons past, Liverpool fans, players and Klopp are looking forward to the challenge with anticipation and excitement.

    To suggest anything is, well, very Gary Neville.

    European nights, as the former Manchester United defender must know, are part of the identity, history and future of Liverpool. After all the Reds have won five European Cups/Champions Leagues to Manchester United’s three.

    The Reds fought tooth and nail last season to secure fourth spot in the Premier League just to qualify for the Champions League, confining Chelsea to Europe’s second tier in the process, and now Neville wants Liverpool to throw it away.

    How he wishes. Liverpool not only welcome their 2018/19 Champions League campaign, they need it to give their extended squad important game time.

    Without it, the players would get restless, craving the big stage and spotlight they came to a reborn “big club” like Liverpool to claim.

    For the record, Sturridge has played 21 minutes of competitive football since the season started. Shaqiri has played 27 and injury-inflicted Adam Lallana only three minutes.

    These three are all capable and desperate to step into the shoes of Salah, Firmino and Mane – if they ever get the chance.

    Other squad players are also desperate for game time – defender Joel Matip, midfielders Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita (currently being rotated in the first XI) and recent acquisition Fabinho, who is yet to make his competitive debut for his new club.

    The “world’s best defender” Dejan Lovren will need game time when he returns from injury and brilliant youngsters Rhian Brewster, Curtis Jones and Rafael Camacho are also hungry for their first-team bows.

    Many of these players will get their chance in the League Cup against Chelsea next Wednesday night, but they also may see some game time against Red Star Belgrade or even Napoli in the Champions League if results permit.

    Some minutes at Rajko Mitic Stadium or Stadio San Paolo could help fast-track a talented youngster to the next level of their development.

    So Gary, seriously, jog on.

    Suggesting Liverpool tank the Champions League, rather than putting out a full strength line-up to face Paris’ best on Tuesday night, is to be frank – about as ridiculous as your short-lived managerial career.

    And as for Mbappe and Neymar et al, the Reds have one message for you – bring it.

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