EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been warned against prioritising remaining competitions over the Premier League after falling eight points off the pace
Arne Slot shouting
John Barnes has fired a warning to Liverpool head coach Arne Slot(Image: Getty Images)
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John Barnes says Liverpool must qualify for the Champions League this season as he warned against focusing on cup competitions after falling behind in the Premier League title race. The Reds sit eighth in the table, one point off the top four but are eight points away from current leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool were forced to go into the international break on the back of another defeat after being well beaten at Manchester City. The disappointment was the fifth already this season, ending a run of two straight wins for the Reds after ending their torrid run with triumphs over Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
Arne Slot's side are back at Anfield upon the resumption of top-flight football after the November international break, when they host Sean Dyche's Nottingham Forest.
With hopes of successfully defending their Premier League fading, there have been suggestions to focus on achieving a seventh European crown in the Champions League.
But Barnes, a title-winner with Liverpool, has urged the Reds to remain focused on the Premier League and solidifying a top-four spot.
The 62-year-old says he would "really disappointed" if Liverpool aren't sitting in the Champions League places come the end of the season.
"If you look at the progress we’ve made, not withstanding the Manchester City game unfortunately we came up against a very, very good team who were much better team, I don’t see us going back to when we lost those five games," he said speaking exclusively to the ECHO via Video Gamer.
"We played a great Man City team and we didn’t perform, if you look at the Real Madrid game and the game before that, we’re not going to be playing a team like them every week so therefore, I don’t see it as a crisis.
"We are eighth but only three or four points off the Champions League. I’d be very disappointed if we don’t make the Champions League this season."
The next run of games have been deemed winnable, on paper, for Liverpool as they take on sides in the bottom half of the table.
The reigning champions will be wanting to eradicate the nightmare few weeks that they endured which saw four successive Premier League defeats, as well as a shock loss in Turkey to Galatasaray.
With hopes of their title defence fading fast, Barnes rubbished the suggestion that winning silverware would constitute a successful season. He added: "Not at all [need silverware to salvage the season], Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou got silverware, look what happened to him.
"What does silverware mean, winning the FA Cup? If you go out of the Champions League then it’s the Europa League, win the Europa League and finish 10th is that a successful season?
"No, what it is is being consistent in the league that means winning most weeks and improving. You could play Barcelona in the semi-final or final and lose, does that mean because we didn’t win the Champions League or a trophy it’s a failure?
"For me, it’s about what you do in the league week in week out, winning more than you lose. I think we will do that. You can’t just concentrate on the Champions League because you neglect the league, put all your eggs into one basket and you fail.
"You have to try and win every football match that you play in and improve in every match. Every week we have to show an improvement or to be challenging to win football matches.”
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