Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Monday, May 2.
Jurgen Klopp contract concern clear
Jurgen Klopp’s contract has inevitably been the main talking point at Liverpool this week after the German penned a new two-year extension to commit his future to the Reds until 2026, briefly stealing attention away from the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in the process, writes Theo Squires.
Normality was resumed on Friday, however, when the German was asked how much his Anfield stay would impact the two forwards’ decisions regarding their own futures ahead of their own contracts expiring in 2023. Now close to the final 12 months of their deals, along with Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, such talk is not going to away anytime soon for as long as their futures remain unresolved.
But there’s one contract decision that remains overlooked at Anfield - that of James Milner’s.
The 36-year-old’s deal expires this summer and so far there has been no sign of an extension, despite Klopp publicly admitting he wants his vice-captain to stay put. As Liverpool chase an unprecedented quadruple, Milner could now find himself in the final weeks of his Anfield career.
READ MORE: What Naby Keita did against Newcastle could change everything as he keeps Liverpool promise
READ MORE: Liverpool's final Premier League fixtures compared to Man City after Newcastle win
Yet you wouldn’t have known he was an ageing midfielder with an uncertain future based on his performance against former club Newcastle, as Klopp handed him his first Premier League start since the Reds’ 2-2 draw at Chelsea in their first game of 2022.
Against the Magpies, Milner was exemplary as he led by example alongside Jordan Henderson and covered every blade of grass, mocking any suggestion that his legs were going in the process.
Only Virgil van Dijk could better his total of 60 passes, while his total of 73 touches was the joint-best on the pitch. Meanwhile, his six tackles, including the one in the build-up to Keita’s winner, was better than any Liverpool team-mate. To put it simply, as the Reds ground out victory, Milner was right in the thick of the action to get his team over the line. There’s life in the old dog yet.
Despite being 36, there is still a role for him to play at Anfield. With the Premier League introducing five substitutions next season, his game-time will surely increase.
If Milner wants to depart in search of starting football elsewhere, then he will go with Liverpool's blessings. But with his manager’s own future now secured, you’d imagine Klopp would be even more keen for the Reds to retain the services of their ageless vice-captain.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Liverpool laughed last after moment Gary Lineker refused to apologise for
As Lionel Messi squared the ball to Ousmane Dembele, he only had Alisson to beat. But somehow, someway, the Frenchman, who had Gerard Pique queuing up behind him, scuffed his shot and the Liverpool goalkeeper collected the ball, writes Will Pickworth.
Referee Bjorn Kuipers immediately blew the full-time whistle and it was immediately forgotten. Indeed, the Barcelona players and fans didn’t care about Dembele’s miss. For they had just dispatched Liverpool 3-0 in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Camp Nou courtesy of a Messi masterclass. The 98,299 in attendance had witnessed a genius at work and the Spanish side had one foot in the Champions League final.
A Luis Suarez first half finish was followed by a Messi second-half goal before the Argentinian curled a sensational 25-yard free-kick into the top right hand corner. It was poignant that this cracker was Messi’s 600th goal for the club.
In truth, Liverpool had been extremely unlucky and only a string of Marc-Andre ter Stegen saves, the woodwork, heroic defending and some inept finishing had prevented the Reds from getting a result.
The British press couldn’t have been more equivocal however that the tie was over and there would be no appearance in Madrid for the Champions League final. ‘Messi mauls Klopp’, ‘Messed up’, ‘Messi’s 600th goal floors Liverpool’, ‘left in a right Messi’ and ‘Reds left raw in Lionel’s den’ were just a selection of headlines on the back pages the following morning.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
