Liverpool fan Derek Royal takes a look at the Reds’ capitulation to Sevilla in the Europa League final.
I grew up in an era when Liverpool were the kings of Europe.
When in 1977 Kevin Keegan and co. painted Rome red after a 3-1 victory over Germany’s Borussia Monchengladbach; when a year later, a delightful chip by Kenny Dalglish earned us a 1-0 triumph over FC Bruges at Wembley; when we tamed Real Madrid in Paris in ’81, and three years later, somehow overcame AS Roma at their intimidating home, the Rome Olympic Stadium. Fast forward to 2005 and who will ever forget the ultimate victory in Istanbul, when we came back from 3-0 down to defeat AC Milan on penalties? Those are the memories I have when I think of the Reds in Europe.
I also remember the last time we won the Europa League (then the UEFA Cup). That was in 2001 when we defeated unfashionable Spanish outfit Alavés 5-4 in an invigorating final of the highest quality.
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A ‘golden goal’ separated the sides, an own goal in fact, scored by the Spaniards four minutes from the end of extra time. Enough to give Liverpool a 5-4 victory and a third UEFA Cup. That result earned us a remarkable treble that season, of FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup victories.
So, as a Liverpool fan, this season has been a tough one to swallow. Consistently inconsistent is the best way to describe a team that has been both beautiful and appalling in equal doses. Eighth in the league. League Cup finalists. Misfits in the FA Cup. But when the boys earned a meeting with Spain’s Sevilla in the Europa League final, the fans celebrated with anticipation. After all, we had beaten Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal to get to Basel, and, given the class of the opposition, confidence was running high. To Reds fans this was a golden opportunity for redemption, to achieve something tangible that wouldn’t just see us win a piece of silverware but would also ensure that Champions League football would return to Anfield next season, giving us a huge financial boost and respect among our peers.
But all that counted for nothing in the wee hours of Thursday morning (AEST) as Sevilla humiliated us 3-1 in what can only be described as a capitulation of massive proportions.
An on-fire Daniel Sturridge gave us a deserved half time lead with a brilliantly-taken opening goal on 34 minutes. Firmino passed to Philippe Coutinho who in turn fed Sturridge just inside the box. Curling an inch-perfect shot with the outside of his left foot, the injury-plagued striker showed the quality we had missed for the majority of the season.
From that moment on, we hit the Spaniards hard. We dominated. We ran with purpose. We passed with accuracy. We tackled with vigour. We created chances (but failed to score). We had momentum and tenacity. We ran them ragged. We even had three legitimate claims for handball inside the penalty area but inexplicably, the referee waved play on each time. Such was our dominance that Sevilla only had one shot throughout the entire first half. We were that good.
Nobody in the Reds camp would have expected what was to follow in the second half. Not the huge travelling contingent of Liverpool fans inside the stadium and not the millions around the world who’d celebrated Sturridge’s majestic opener with reverance and glee.
Sevilla’s Gameiro equalised 16 seconds into the second half and from there it was a rapid spiral into the abyss. Never before have I seen a Liverpool side capitulate so feebly. Never before have I seen the Reds suffer such humiliation in a final. With 44 minutes left to play, we stopped. And we paid dearly, with Sevilla running rampant and securing a deserved win.
Apart from the indifferent second half display, the worst thing about this defeat is we won’t be playing in Europe next season. No Champions League. No Europa League.
Coach Jurgen Klopp with endeavour to reshape this squad over the summer and his judgement will be scrutinised closely by fans and critics alike. Past mistakes must be corrected and the bar raised for a team that finished a forlorn 21 points behind champions Leicester City.
But two finals in his first seven months in charge prove the German’s pedigree, even if the form of the Villarreal game and the triumph over Borussia Dortmund disappeared under a remarkable second half onslaught by Sevilla.
Hopefully some tinkering will next season have the Red machine once again humming a winning tune. Maybe the need to focus on domestic football without the distraction of the European stuff will be just what the doctor ordered. Only time will tell.
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