Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has remarkably suggested missing out on European football could perhaps be a blessing in disguise for Jurgen Klopp's side as their Premier League woes continue.
The Reds slipped to back-to-back league defeats on Saturday evening as a late goal from Crysencio Summerville secured Leeds United's first victory at Anfield since April 2001. Stacking further misery on Klopp's side in their first Premier League outing since last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
It means Liverpool now sit eight points behind Newcastle United who occupy fourth place, despite boasting a game in hand on Eddie Howe's side. It also means that for consecutive fixtures the Anfield outfit have been unable to capitalise on slip-ups on from those above them in the league standings, as Tottenham's loss to the Magpies and Chelsea's dismal showing at Brighton earlier on Saturday both escaped unpunished.
READ MORE: Clueless Liverpool causing real alarm after Jurgen Klopp problems in Leeds defeat
LFC VERDICT: Liverpool player ratings as Fabinho dreadful again and six others really bad
But the former Anfield icon, who won four league titles in over 300 appearances on Merseyside, believes Liverpool could be in danger of missing out on the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League next term. However, insists it could be a blessing for Klopp's squad if it was to happen.
"I was sitting thinking, you know what, it didn't do Chelsea any harm not to be in Europe the year Conte came," said Nicol on ESPN. "It didn't do Chelsea any harm at all. I was thinking would it do Liverpool that much harm, for that one year, not to be in Europe?"
After sacking Jose Mourinho in December 2015, Chelsea appointed former manager Guus Hiddink on an interim basis until the end of the 2015-16 and subsequently finished tenth in the Premier League. However, after bringing in Antonio Conte in the summer of 2016, the Londoners stormed to Premier League glory in his first season as, after signing Diego Costa, N'golo Kante and David Luiz, the Italian's superb 3-4-3 system took England by storm.
But despite Nicol's reasoning, he was probed about the possible impact it could have on Liverpool's ability to attract the likes of Jude Bellingham and more to Anfield next summer.
"I don't believe that for a second because when Chelsea didn't get into Europe they managed to get Antonio Conte, who was one of the most sought after managers," he added. "I'm just thinking if you're not going to win the Champions League, I absolutely loathe that conference nonsense and then I'm asking myself do I really want to be in the Europa League - Thursday and Sundays? If you're out for one season it's not going to change an awful lot."
Examining the Reds' woeful showing earlier in the programme, Nicol - while he claimed the desire of those in red cannot be questioned - believes everything that could possibly go wrong at Anfield at the moment has and is continuing to do so, with so many key players unable to match their previous trophy-sweeping standards.
He added: "Absolutely everything is going wrong. You can start with form, basically, almost everybody is out of form. The one thing you can't have a go at is the desire, but unfortunately that desire is turning into turning the ball over. Desperation. They are trying so hard that there is no control. The passes are either too long or too short...I mean even the chances, they had plenty of opportunities, Nunez had a couple of opportunities. Meslier made a couple of great saves as well, Salah got his goal.
"Every single little thing is going wrong, and regardless of what it is, right now they are getting it wrong. I could go through every single thing you do on a football field; your starting positions, decision-making. I mean Liverpool just keep getting everything wrong, particularly at the wrong time.
"Van Dijk for the last goal, he doesn't move his feet at all. Summerville gets it and he moves two different ways, the ball moves, and then he toe-pokes it into the goal.
"During that whole little spell, which I understand is a short time, Van Dijk doesn't move his feet or his body. He just stands there and watches. Not only Van Dijk, but a couple of years ago that whole back-four would have had Leeds camped in their own half. Two years ago Liverpool defended as a unit. Today, Liverpool don't defend whether it's the top, the middle or the back."
"I heard Klopp talking the other day about it will be different after the World Cup, I would love to know what's going to change because it doesn't seem like the personnel is going to change an awful lot. But I tell you what there's an awful lot that has to change."
READ NEXT
