“We were so desperate to win it”- Glen Johnson feels Liverpool shouldn’t commit the same mistake that cost them the Premier League 2013-14 title because of the Gerrard slip
Follow Us
Jurgen Klopp was recently offered some inside advice to prevent Liverpool collapse that “hurt so much” as described by former player Glen Johnson. Back in 2014, after suffering a painful defeat against Chelsea, Brendan Rodgers’ Reds traveled to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.
Liverpool was level on points with league leaders City, but a 3-0 lead after 55 minutes had them hoping they might be able to bring goal difference back into the equation. Of course, as we now know, three goals in the final 15 minutes earned Palace a sensational draw, and Rodgers’ side had to settle for second place after their rivals won on the final day regardless.
Glen Johnson, one of the Liverpool starters against Palace back in 2014, doesn’t expect his former side to fall into the same trap they did under Rodgers.
“First they have to try and win the game,” Johnson told 888sport. “They haven’t got to try and score four or five goals – they’ll probably be in control of the game as we know anyway, and if they get a positive result you just don’t know what’s going to happen elsewhere with other games, so I think all they’re focusing on is getting three points and if they can nick a few goals back then it’s a bonus.“
“We started exactly the same [against Palace]…We were so desperate to win it. I knew we had a unique opportunity and we were playing so well. It was that desire to get more goals against Crystal Palace that let them back into it and killed us,” he added.
Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho were involved for Liverpool back in 2014, and could yet have a part to play in this season’s title race. Coutinho has completed a £17m move to Aston Villa, where Gerrard is manager, and the Villans take on Manchester City on the final weekend of the season.
Read More: ‘The quadruple is still on’- Twitter goes wild as Liverpool wins the 150th edition of the FA Cup
Liverpool’s quadruple is still on
Liverpool’s triumph against Chelsea in the FA Cup final means that they have won at least two trophies this season i.e the Carabao Cup and the FA cup. Premier League is still a possibility with Manchester City just three points ahead of the Reds.
They have their Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris on May 28 which means their chances of finishing a quadruple is still a possibility that is never achieved in the history of English Football.
Stay Updated!
Sujeeth Shetty
(766 Articles Published)