Milner: 'If we don't win, we don't deserve to be in CL'

Milner admits that Liverpool will have no answer to the critics if they exit the Champions League at the group stage this season. 

After a 2-1 loss in Paris;, Liverpool have it all to do on the final match day of the Group, as they must beat Italians Napoli by two clear goals at Anfield to progress.

For the first time in the club's history, Liverpool have lost all three away matches in the group stage, and are now staring the competition exit door fully in the face. 

It can be argued that a side that loses three of their opening five matches of the tournament does not deserve to be a part of it anyhow And, begrudgingly, midfielder Milner has agreed. 

In a post match pres conference after the PSG defeat, Milner said: "I don’t think being in the Europa League in February has crossed anyone’s mind. Our aim is to get out of the group, get the result and get through. If we don’t do that, we don’t deserve to be in the Champions League. " 

 

November 28, 2018

He continued: "We’re not that experienced in the Champions League. We had a good run last year and that will definitely help us but we got through in the final group game last year and look where we ended up.

Milner added: "You don’t see any of the lads panicking, we are comfortable we can go and finish the job at home. I don’t think it was a terrible performance but if you can’t win your home games in the Champions League then you really don’t deserve to go through."

After a marvellous previous campaign, Liverpool have been well below their level in the tournament this year. 

Many critics think that Liverpool have hit a hurdle, one which could be hard to recover from. 

However teamate of Milner, centre half Virgil van Dijk was bullish upon hearing such a suggestion. 

He told the assembled media: "‘We don’t need to think we are a s*** team. The frustrating thing is how we have conceded the goals to PSG. I don’t know if there’s any explanation for that right now because I can’t think of one."

Van Dijk pointed to the flamboyance of the PSG players as one of the reasons for Liverpool losing focus. 

The Dutchman insisted: "Every time we made a foul they all came to the ref trying to get us a yellow card. We should do the same at times. I think in the second half we did it better. It’s not my type of game."

 

November 29, 2018