Liverpool were humbled in their Champions League opener and a lack of effort and desire was identified as the key reasons behind their demise.
After an inconsistent start to the Premier League season, Jurgen Klopp will have been hoping that their European campaign offered some welcome respite. But the Reds were beaten from pillar to post by Napoli, losing 4-1 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
In a stadium named after a player with the Hand of God, Liverpool ’s nightmare evening got off to the worst possible start when James Milner was adjudged to have handled in the area. Piotr Zielinski converted from the spot before Victor Osimhen missed a second penalty minutes later. However, they weren't left to rue that miss as goals from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone ensured the hosts went into the break with a three-goal lead.
And it went from bad to worse for the shellshocked visitors just minutes into the second half, when Zielinski made it four. Luis Diaz - one of the few Liverpool players to come out of the debacle with any credit - scored a consolation, but Klopp was left to dwell on a new low in a frustratingly indifferent opening month of the campaign.
BT Sport pundits Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen ripped into the beleaguered Liverpool players, claiming there appeared to be a distinct absence of effort in the embarrassing defeat. “Napoli have been tremendous first and foremost, but Liverpool have been embarrassed,” Ferdinand explained.
“What you can't accept as a manager, a team-mate, a player is lack of effort at times, a lack of desire, you accept mistakes but when people don’t run or don’t look like they have the intensity to get back and play.
“It is a mistake from [Joe] Gomez, it is just not good enough. With the one two, Gomez has got to follow and Anguissa who has been sensational in the first half, they have been teased, embarrassed and shown up in the first half and this won’t be good for them to watch.”
Former Liverpool striker Owen wasn’t much more forgiving of the showing and again suggested that much of their struggles stemmed from the fact their Italian opponents outfought and outworked them.
He said: “That right-hand side of defence has been torn apart and the third goal came from that side. Don’t get me wrong Napoli have been quick out the blocks, loads of energy, strength, desire.
“I think Liverpool fans have been expecting this for a while now. The performances have not been great in recent weeks, and Napoli is a tough place to go, and if you are not right on it, you are going to get shown up, and they are getting shown up.”
Liverpool won’t have long to wait before getting a chance to respond, with Klopp’s charges back in action in less than 72 hours when they host Wolves at Anfield on Saturday. They’ll then take on Ajax at home, in what looks an increasingly pivotal clash in Group A after the Dutch champions ran out 4-0 winners over Rangers in their own opener.
