Dejected Liverpool players look set for a Europa League exit (Picture: Getty Images)
Liverpool should now play a second string team in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta, after an ‘awful performance’ in a 3-0 home defeat on Thursday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s team were stunned by the Italian team at Anfield, favourites to win the game, the tie and the competition beforehand, but flopping to a heavy defeat.
Former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca scored the first two Atalanta goals before Mario Pasalic netted a late third and have the Merseysiders an extremely difficult task next week in Italy.
It is such a difficult task, in fact, that club legend Carragher thinks they should basically give up, admit defeat and focus on trying to win the Premier League title instead.
The former Reds and England defender tweeted: ‘Awful result and 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!’
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was not suggesting the same course of action, instead focussing on beating Crystal Palace on Sunday before travelling to Bergamo with revenge on the mind.
‘If you don’t believe, there’s no point going to Italy,’ he told TNT Sports. ‘We have made it very hard for ourselves going there 3-0 down. But the way to bounce back is by winning the game on the weekend.
Klopp made no excuses for his team’s ‘really bad’ performance (Picture: Getty Images)
‘We need everyone to switch it back on. Then we can focus on putting out at least four goals over there.’
Klopp added: ‘I know already that if we do a couple of things better, we will be better. Can we win it back? Yes, if we play good it is possible. Can we win 3-0? I have no idea. But this feels really bad and that’s important. That was a bad performance and that’s how it is. That’s how we lost. It feels always in this moment that they are through but until we play, they are not.
‘We haven’t had that that often so we have to show a reaction immediately on Sunday. In this moment it must feel bad. The lads must go home and sleep badly. But we must prepare for Crystal Palace.’
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