Liverpool manager Arne Slot has stated that the team’s Champions League exit could actually boost their chances of qualifying for the competition again next season.
The Reds are now fully focused on trying to secure a top-five finish in the Premier League after their 4-0 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Slot said: “If you look at the 15, 20, or 25 players who have played the most minutes this season, a lot of them are from our squad. That tells you a lot, and it’s probably one of the reasons for our inconsistency, and it probably explains why we’ve conceded so many late goals, because it’s always the same players.”
He added: “From that perspective, maybe going out of Europe is good, but I would have definitely preferred to continue playing in Europe because reaching the Champions League semi-finals gives the group a positive energy. I don’t see going out as a positive, but it’s the reality now, and we have more time to train.”
The first of these six matches comes on Sunday against local rivals Everton, as Liverpool travel to their new stadium, Hill Dickinson, for their first-ever visit.
Following their recent 2-0 victory over Fulham, Liverpool sit fifth in the table, four points behind Chelsea and three points behind both Aston Villa and Manchester United, with six games remaining.
