“Wheels have come off” – Media slam Liverpool after “awful, chastening night”

Liverpool were slaughtered by the media after being beaten 3-0 at home to Atalanta, and many of the negative column inches were thoroughly deserved.

The Reds produced argubaly their worst performance of the season on Thursday evening, almost playing themselves out of Europa League contention with a hapless showing.

Atalanta were more than deserving of their victory – it could have been more – as Jurgen Klopp and his players suffered an abysmal night.

Here’s how the media reacted to Liverpool’s awful defeat.

A truly terrible night…

The Independent‘s Richard Jolly assessed a dire evening, with a party in Dublin next month looking unlikely:

“The invasion of Ireland may have to be called off. Dublin may not stage Jurgen Klopp’s farewell party after all. A Champions League winner’s reign may not end in Europa League glory amid thousands of Liverpool fans.

“The risk instead is that Atalanta, unfancied but impressive, bring his European odyssey to a premature end in Bergamo next week. A damaging week may take on disastrous proportions if it costs Liverpool both the Premier and the Europa Leagues.

“They now need a repeat of Klopp’s most famous comeback, from 3-0 down against Barcelona, but without the advantage of Anfield.”

On X, David Lynch was critical of the “complacency” on show at Anfield:

“Don’t think I’ve ever said this before about Jurgen Klopp‘s Liverpool before but there was a strong whiff of complacency about tonight from the manager’s selection to the players’ performances.

“Atalanta just bullied them all across the park for 90 minutes and deserved their win.”

James Pearce of The Athletic was similarly scathing:

“What a mess of a performance. The worst of the season by some distance.

“So much wrong. So many errors. 14-month unbeaten run at home is ended.”

Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph bemoaned an “awful, chastening night” at Anfield:

“Unlike against Barcelona five years ago, Liverpool will have to retrieve a near impossible situation away from home after Atalanta secured a deserved and historic three-goal win.

“So often Klopp’s Liverpool have used Uefa competition to deliver performances that resonate around the continent. They did so for the wrong reasons against the Italians.

“This was an awful, chastening night for Liverpool leaving their treble quest in tatters, and just as bad for those Dublin hoteliers anticipating an invasion of red in May.”

BBC Sport‘s Neil Johnston touched upon a poor response to the draw at Man United:

“Liverpool had been looking to put the disappointment of Old Trafford, and dropping two points in the title race, behind them.

“Instead they are now fighting to stay in Europe after one of their poorest performances of the season – and a first home loss since a Champions League last-16 tie in February 2023 when Real Madrid beat them 5-2.

[…]

“They never got going and Klopp’s hope of ending his Liverpool reign at the Europa League final in Dublin on 22 May looks a distant dream.”

Speaking on TNT Sports, former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman claimed the “wheels have come off”:

“Do you know what, they haven’t deserved it tonight. Liverpool have been very average.

“They’ve been amazing this year and all the nice things that have been said about them, but tonight, wow the wheels have come off.

“All the substitutions that have been made haven’t had an impact as they have had this year. It will be interesting to see what the manager has to say when he explains it away because there’s a lot to explain!”

Awful result & performance from Liverpool, the only consolation about getting beat so heavily is Jurgen should play a full second string in the second leg & go all in for the league!

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 11, 2024

Things are looking down right now, but if results go the right way this weekend, the Liverpool camp could be in a much better mood ahead of the second leg next Thursday.