Roy Keane has once again lambasted Liverpool as 'bad champions' following their disappointing 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday. The former Manchester United captain's criticism comes as the Reds' title defence has faltered, leaving them 21 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool the lead, only for Richarlison to equalise late in the match. Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane said: 'Considering they were league champions last year, I’ve said it before and I’ve said it a number of times, Liverpool are bad champions. They are now 21 points behind Arsenal; what a drop-off that is! That is so bad.' He added that there seem to be issues behind the scenes, questioning the players' chemistry.
Keane had previously accused Liverpool of celebrating too much after winning the title last season. He remarked: 'Last year I was critical of Liverpool, and I felt they were always partying too much... You are Liverpool Football Club; are you not expected to win league titles? So when you do win it, enjoy it, but let's back it up next year.'
Midfielder Szoboszlai echoed the frustration, stating that a European spot might be the best they can hope for this season. He said: 'In the last minute, again, I don't know how many times this season already... If we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League.' He admitted the team needs to wake up and stick together during this difficult period.
Liverpool face Galatasaray in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Turkey.
