The Sun Newspaper

THE good news is that Liverpool supporters could very soon be experiencing those famous Anfield European nights again.
Jurgen Klopp’s team need to climb only one place in the Premier League table to qualify for the inaugural staging of Uefa’s third-tier tournament, the Europa Conference League.

Liverpool could still find themselves playing in Europe… the third tier, that isCredit: Reuters

Then the Kop could be sucking the ball into the net as their Red Men take on Honka of Finland or Georgian second division side FA Gagra, winners of the David Kipiani Cup, or whoever finishes fourth in Luxembourg this season.
And it gets more glamorous still with a final in Tirana, Albania.
Will Klopp fancy such ignominy? And will Mo Salah?
Who knows what happens when a mighty footballing empire seemingly turns to dust in ten weeks?

There is no true precedent. From champions of England, Europe and the world to six straight home defeats and being told you don’t want it enough by Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed.
‘This means more,’ is Liverpool’s corporate motto. ‘Unity Is Strength,’ read the banner trailed by some Scouse Biggles over Anfield on Sunday — as Fulham went about proving as much.
Unity is strength, unless it is about Premier League politics, at which point Liverpool cosy up with Manchester United and try to carve things up to their own benefit — but we digress.
Yes, there’s been a defensive injury crisis and, yes, Klopp’s team selection against Fulham was weird when a win was desperately needed. But where is the workrate and unity which made this team so great, so recently?

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It reminds you of an old Half Man Half Biscuit line, parodying You’ll Never Walk Alone — ‘When you walk through a storm, you get wet’.
Now even the pom-pom-wielding former Liverpool players on TV have taken the gloves off, Jamie Carragher referring to Klopp’s team as ‘mentality midgets’.
And Salah, still the Premier League’s leading scorer (17), has slackened off as badly as anyone.
Without skipper Jordan Henderson and defensive general Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool need their best player to lead by example.
Yet there was the Egyptian dawdling outside his 18-yard box, allowing Mario Lemina to score Fulham’s winner.

This after the tantrum which followed his substitution against Chelsea, which led to a cryptic ‘full stop’ tweet from his agent.
And that after a rare interview with a Spanish newspaper, in which Salah pointedly moaned about not being made captain for a Champions League dead rubber against Midtjylland.
Was that interview designed to prick up ears at Barcelona and Real Madrid?
If so, it was done without much knowledge of the financial situations at either of Spain’s skint super clubs.
Salah is 29 this summer and may quite reasonably feel he has achieved all he can at Liverpool. But where next in the current financial climate?
Is he hoping for some musical chairs at Paris Saint-Germain? Joining the Premier League vets competition, Serie A? Or maybe Klopp’s old friends at Bayern Munich?
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Talking of Bayern, there have been comparisons drawn between Liverpool’s skydive and Klopp’s final season at Borussia Dortmund in 2014-15.
Having won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and lost a Champions League final to Bayern, Klopp’s side hit an injury crisis and fell into the relegation places before a late revival saw them finish a distant seventh.
But Klopp is adamant we are not seeing history repeat itself — despite defeatist noises regarding Manchester City — who, like Bayern of 2015, are a financial powerhouse overseen by Pep Guardiola.
Many at City feared Guardiola had lost his mojo last year and we’ve all seen how that has turned around.
So Liverpool’s owners will not yet be wondering whether it is too early for Steven Gerrard.
The Rangers manager may have merely romped home in a two-horse race in Scotland but Klopp is currently eighth in a six-horse race in England.

There are some serious questions to ask of Jurgen Klopp in recent gamesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Still, there are serious questions to ask of Klopp. Why defend with a high line when you have little pace or quality in central defence?
How has a player as good as Thiago Alcantara joined a team as good as Liverpool and looked so bad? What on Earth has happened to Sadio Mane?
And, chiefly, how has a manager famed for his motivational powers and his workaholism, presided over a team which looks downright lazy at times?
Surely, Klopp’s outstanding three-year run, including back-to-back Champions League finals and 196 Premier League points over two seasons, make him bulletproof — at least until he has some fit senior central defenders.
But Klopp made seven changes for that Fulham game, prioritising a Champions League tie against RB Leipzig, such is his apparent concern that the Germans could overhaul a 2-0 deficit in neutral Budapest tomorrow.
Still, a new European adventure may soon be on the cards. Although even the fourth-best team in Luxembourg might now fancy their chances at Anfield.

Liverpool v Fulham as it happened More

EDINSON CAVANI and Eric Bailly are demanding answers from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with their Manchester United futures in doubt.
Uruguay striker Cavani, 34, is keen to stay at Old Trafford next season but has not received any assurances from the Red Devils hierarchy.

Edinson Cavani wants to stay at Man Utd but is yet to receive assurances from club chiefsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Eric Bailly wants honesty over his playing time at the clubCredit: Getty Images – Getty

While frustrated centre-back Bailly wants ‘honesty’ from boss Solskjaer over his first-team status.
United, second in the Premier League after Sunday’s 2-0 derby triumph over leaders City, are looking to bring in a new striker and defender this summer.
Cavani, who is considering a return to South America with Boca Juniors in Argentina, wants to know how a new frontman would impact on his role at the Theatre of Dreams.
The striker joined United in October as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a deal until the end of the season.

His £9million-a-year contract has a one-year option with both parties able to trigger the extension.
That means Cavani, who has scored seven goals this season, could walk away if he wishes.
United are expected to open talks with Cavani but he has grown frustrated that it has taken Boca’s interest of a £3million-a-year offer to begin discussions.
Bailly, who was left on the United bench for the Etihad triumph, is also a disgruntled figure at United.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a big summer of transfersCredit: Rex Features

And the Ivory Coast defender, 26, had told team-mates how he does not believe he is getting equal treatment from the Old Trafford boss.
A dressing room source told SunSport: “Eric doesn’t feel he has any trust from Ole and he thinks that’s unfair.
“He wants the coach to have confidence in him and back him up but he feels he isn’t being protected at all and that hurts.”
SunSport understands Bailly’s problems with Solskjaer date back to last season’s Europa League semi-final defeat to Sevilla when he was left out of the side in favour of Victor Lindelof.
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The ex-Villarreal defender had an ankle injury earlier in this campaign and he feels Solskjaer used that knock as an excuse to omit him even when he returned to fitness.
Bailly is due to enter the last year of his United contract this summer although he had been offered a 12-month extension.
He was part of the defence that kept a clean sheet at Crystal Palace on Wednesday but then was not in the squad against City.
That has only increased his belief he is being pushed towards the exit door for no reason, while the suggestion that he might be injury-prone could have consequences if he is forced to seek a new club.
The source added: “From Eric’s point of view, he thinks he will only play now if Lindelof is out, irrespective of how he plays.

“But he thinks that is the easy option and that Solskjaer can do it because he doesn’t like to kick up a fuss or start knocking on the manager’s door to ask questions.
“If he was left out because he was making mistakes he would understand it but that’s not the case. Eric just wants to feel appreciated by the manager and the club.”
Meanwhile Solskjaer is hopeful that Marcus Rashford could be available for Thursday’s Europa League last 16 first leg clash with Milan.
Rashford limped out of the Manchester derby win and had a scan on the damage yesterday.
But results suggest he is suffering only from bruising on his ankle as opposed to ligament damage meaning he does not face a long–term absence.

Solskjaer says Marcus Rashford is set for a scan after injuring ankle when sprinting back to help defend in win over Man City More

ANTONIO RUDIGER reckons a top-four place is in Chelsea’s hands — if they keep listening to “details” man Thomas Tuchel.
The Blues are becoming a slick, mean-machine under Tuchel and moved into a Champions League qualification place with Thursday’s win at Liverpool.

Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger hails boss Thomas Tuchel for his ‘calm’ managementCredit: PA:Press Association

Everton defender Ben Godfrey is eyeing an England call-up as he prepares to face Chelsea on Monday at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Rudiger, back in favour and on form since his fellow German’s arrival, said: “It’s all details, details.
“If you don’t do what he tells you, you will find yourself on the outside. His message is just always to play our football. Like we are, to press high.
“He is making us feel that we should always stay calm, never worry, and he advises us exactly what to do. And this is what we are doing.

“It’s game by game. But it is all in our hands.

“Top four can happen but it depends all on us.”
Chelsea restricted Liverpool to just one shot on target on Thursday.Their resurgence under Tuchel is based on a solid defence.
Chelsea have conceded just two goals — one a Rudiger OG — in Tuchel’s ten games in charge.
Former Blues defender Ashley Cole described the 1-0 Anfield win as a “perfect performance”.

Rudiger, 28, said: “It felt like this. Everyone worked off the ball and if we were more clinical we could have done much better.
“But the defensive display from everyone was spot on. We always said the defensive work starts from the front and that’s why  we all did well.”
Meanwhile, Everton’s Ben Godfrey, is chasing a double target of a Champions League spot and England call-up.
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A lot of people have mentioned playing for England to me. It would be strange for me to say I’m not aiming for that. Any English player wants that accolade.
Everton defender Ben Godfrey

The defender, 23 has established himself in the back four  following his £25million switch from Norwich in October.
And Godfrey is sure both goals can be achieved with Everton.  
He said: “The character we have is unbelievable — it’s a great dressing room.
“Long may that continue, especially in these final stages of the season.
“We’re going to go to some tough places — and that character and bond we’ve got has to be there.”
He added:  “A lot of people have mentioned playing for England to me. It would be strange for me to say I’m not aiming for that.

“Any English player wants that accolade.”
CHELSEA (likely): Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, Hudson-Odoi, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso, Mount, Havertz, Werner.
 EVERTON (likely): Pickford, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Digne, Doucoure, Gomes, Allan, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.

Tuchel says he is very very happy after Chelsea’s defeat of Liverpool as he knows what it takes More