‘I don’t think so’: Phil Thompson makes debatable claim about Liverpool’s CL exit

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Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League earlier this week.

Phil Thompson has dismissed the idea that Diego Simeone produced a ‘masterclass’ when Atletico Madrid knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League earlier this week, as he told Sky Sports News (14/03/20 at 12:15 pm).

The Sky Sports pundit also claimed that it was Liverpool’s ‘best performance’ of the season as they crashed out at the first knockout phase to their Spanish opponents. 

Atletico Madrid caused a lot of stir and debates as to whether their defensive performance against Liverpool was a tactical ‘masterclass’ or just a goalkeeper in Oblak, who was in inspiring form.

Thompson made it quite clear which one he thinks it was, and despite a season of huge success and top-quality performances, he debatably claimed that their recent display was their best of the campaign. 

“The Champion League the other night, I thought, to be honest, it was our best performance of the season,” Thompson told Sky Sports. “The intensity, the movement and everything was absolutely incredible. 

“How we got beat? I don’t know. Maybe, it was a tale of two keepers. Oblak was absolutely tremendous. Our keeper made a couple of errors which led to it.

“Was it a masterclass from Simeone? I don’t think so. And I really don’t. It was a masterclass in Madrid because they played so well and we didn’t even have a shot a goal. That’s a masterclass. Not when you have 35 attempts at goal, 10 on target and the keeper has a worldie. That means you are breaching their defence a lot. You’re not finishing things.”

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From a consistent basis, Liverpool perhaps produced better performances last season, whilst during this campaign they had more of a never-say-die attitude about them. Their late winners during the first half of the season is proof of that. 

Added with that, it could be argued that their 4-0 win at Leicester City in December was perhaps their best performance of the season. From minute one, it was near perfect display from Klopp’s boys, with Trent Alexander-Arnold leading the way from right-back.

It needs to be remembered that, at that time, some were feeling that Liverpool could be caught with Brendan Rodgers side their closet rivals. But Liverpool dismissed them with ease and it was perhaps the last chance for their rivals to try and make something of the title race.