"You can't trust them" - Arsenal legend Ian Wright claims Liverpool are unlikely to finish in the PL top 4 this season
Arsenal great Ian Wright doesn't expect Liverpool to finish in the Premier League's top four this season. Jurgen Klopp's side currently sit sixth in the league, trailing fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by six points with a game in hand.
However, the Merseysiders have endured topsy-turvy form this season. They have won 12, drawn six and lost eight of their 26 league games thus far. Klopp's men picked up their best result of the season with a 7-0 demolition of Manchester United on March 5. Yet, they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth just a week later.
Wright thinks Liverpool can't be trusted to qualify for the UEFA Champions League due to their inconsistent form. The former Arsenal striker said (via the Mirror):
"You can’t trust them. You can’t trust Liverpool. At the moment, whoever I am, playing against Liverpool, then I would have a go."
Wright reckons Tottenham will likely pip them to fourth because of Harry Kane. The English striker has bagged 20 league goals in 22 games. He added:
"What it comes down to is that you have Harry Kane. For as long you have Harry Kane and you can create chances, then he is probably going to score them. This is why I will fancy Tottenham to make the top four, regardless of how they play."
Klopp's side are next in action in the Premier League on April 1 when they face second-placed Manchester City. They did beat the reigning champions 1-0 at Anfield in the league last October. However, they have failed to keep a consistent run of wins going in a rollercoaster ride of a campaign.
Former Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs bemused by suggestions that Liverpool should sack Klopp
Liverpool's unconvincing season has led to slight question marks over Klopp at Anfield. The German is one of the club's most successful managers. He has led the Merseysiders to the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
However, this season has been one to forget for Klopp's side thus far. Their likely last chance of silverware is hanging by a thread. They head to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Real Madrid on Wednesday (March 15). Liverpool trail Los Blancos 5-2 on aggregate and are out of all domestic cup competitions.
Despite this, Kieran Gibbs couldn't comprehend calls for Klopp to be dismissed. He told The 2 Robbies Podcast:
“I always find it funny when people ask for Klopp’s head. It baffles me a little bit. But that’s kind of the world we live in now so it’s come to be expected."
The former Arsenal left-back continued by alluding to how competitive the Anfield giants have been under Klopp since he took over in 2015:
"But they’ve competed heavily for every competition for the last five years. Three Champions League finals I think it is, a Prem, title challenge every year for that, there’s been a World Cup in the mix, a lot of players went to that."