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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

Thierry Henry says Liverpool are at the 'end of an era' in brutal comments after Real Madrid defeat

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has claimed that it’s the “end of an era” at Liverpool after their defeat to Real Madrid.

The Reds lost 5-2 to Madrid in their Champions League last-16 first leg at Anfield on Tuesday night. Jurgen Klopp’s side now face a daunting task of overturning a three-goal deficit in the second leg in the Spanish capital on March 15.

Liverpool took the lead with a goal from Darwin Nunez, and was then supported by a strike from Mohamed Salah. However, things unravelled before half-time with a brace from Vinicius Jr for Madrid.

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The visitors then scored three goals in the second half with a header from Eder Militao and a Karim Benzema brace. It’s the first time that Liverpool have conceded five goals at Anfield in the Champions League era.

Henry was appearing as a pundit alongside Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and former Manchester City star Micah Richards. The ex-Arsenal forward labelled the Reds as “fragile”, and explains why change is needed at Anfield.

“First and foremost, I sympathise with Jamie,” Henry told CBS Sports. “Because when you look at your team getting battered like that, the way he speaks, it goes above and beyond because he’s hurt and he’s a Liverpool fan.

“Now you need to go back to the truth. You concede against Brentford too many goals for my liking, against Wolves too many goals for my liking, then Brighton.

“I wanted to know where they were, and I saw a fragile team, more than fragile. I’ll tell you why, you were 2-0 up.

“That’s exactly the start you would like to have against any team, in Europe and at Anfield, and they couldn’t even keep that.

“Yes, Alisson Becker made a mistake but they did not bail him out. Thibaut Courtois makes a mistake, that’s a big team and they bail him out.

“Yes, with the help of some movement, or not, from the Liverpool players. But they are fragile, and something needs to change.

“I do not think that Klopp needs to go, that’s not what I’m saying. But some of the players do not have the level anymore to play for Liverpool.

“It happens sometimes to the best. It happened to me, and Jamie and Micah. I think it’s the end of an era.

“It has been like that for a while this season, and it’s the end of an era. And it happens.

“I’m not having a go at Liverpool, but you have to call it. They’re eighth [in the Premier League], they’re not playing well, they’re conceding a lot.

“We all love what they did recently, but you also have to say when something is not going right, and it’s not going right.

“It’s a tough one where I look and see Liverpool conceding five goals at home. Getting outplayed."

He continued: “I just think that it’s not good enough. That team gave us so much joy throughout the years, but right now they’re not and they need to reinvent themselves, and make sure they can keep their head up until the end of the season.”

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