Monday 24 November 2014 16:33, UK
Soccer Saturday’s Phil Thompson fears it’s going to be “extremely difficult” for Liverpool to qualify for the Champions League this season after their disastrous start continued on Super Sunday.
The Reds slumped to their sixth defeat of the campaign as they lost 3-1 at Crystal Palace, letting an early lead slip to allow the Eagles to end a five-match winless run.
That defeat leaves Brendan Rodgers’ men down in 14th and prompted Sky Bet to push their top-four odds out to 4/1, having made them odds-on at the start of the season.
While they are only five points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United, Thommo fears there are too many factors currently working against his old club.
The former Liverpool defender said: “The only thing going in Liverpool’s favour is that the so called ‘big teams’ have been average and you look at what Southampton are doing and they show there’s still a possibility.
“However, the odds don’t lie and it’s hard to see where the next win is going to come from. It’s going to be extremely difficult with a lack of points, form and confidence.
“As I said on Soccer Saturday, the problems lie deeper than just Daniel Sturridge and even when he comes back it’s going to be difficult with his fitness issues.”
Liverpool will look to turn things around before the end of the year, playing 10 matches, including two must-win Champions League encounters, before Rodgers can use the transfer window to address problems.
Thommo added: “It’s going to be a big five weeks for Brendan for turning things around and people are going to start to look at the January transfer window.
“The players he has brought in have not done it and the question is: what will be done in January?
“A whole raft of players were brought in when maybe just a couple of top-class players should have been bought.”
Thommo is backing the Reds to bounce back with a narrow victory on Wednesday night, going for a 2-1 win at 15/2 in his Sky Bet tips, along with Steven Gerrard to score first at 8/1.
