From Jurgen Klopp, there was an apology to Liverpool’s stunned, and suffering, fanbase.
And a promise too. While he knows he can’t turn round such a rapid decline in his team’s form overnight, he does still believe it is possible to resurrect something tangible from their season. Already, the side which hounded Manchester City all the way in the title race last season - and got so close to an historic quadruple - have all but conceded the Premier League crown just eight games into the new campaign.
Diogo Jota perhaps put it most succinctly, when he conceded: “We know how difficult it will be - It doesn’t seem viable at the moment.” Yet if the league is already over, then Europe still beckons, and Wednesday night’s trip to Glasgow to meet Rangers offers not only the chance for redemption, but also an opportunity to take a giant stride into the knockout stage of the competition.
