Thierry Henry believes that it is ‘the end of an era’ for Liverpool after they were comprehensively beaten 5-2 by Real Madrid.
Having been challenging at the pinnacle of English and European football for the last five or six years, Liverpool have had a stark drop off this season, currently sitting in eighth in the Premier League, and already out of both domestic cup competitions.
They now look set to drop out of the Champions League at the first knock-out hurdle, the 5-2 loss meaning Liverpool will need to score at least four times in the Bernabeu to have any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says Liverpool have become a ‘fragile’ team, before adding that it is ‘the end of an era’ for Jurgen Klopp’s current crop.
“They conceded too many goals against Brentford, Wolves and Brighton – let alone before you play a team like Real Madrid,” he said on CBS Sports.
“I wanted to know where they were and I saw a fragile team. More than fragile, why? They were 2-0 up. That’s exactly the start you would like to have against a Madrid team or any team in Europe at Anfield and they couldn’t even keep that.
“Yes, Alisson made a mistake but they didn’t bail him out. Thibaut Courtois makes a mistake – that’s a big team, they bailed him out.
THAT IS SILKY! 🤯
Karim Benzema is the coolest man on the planet 🥶
What a goal! 💥#UCL pic.twitter.com/FFLHjcpMxU
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
“They are fragile and some things need to change. I don’t think Jurgen Klopp needs to go but some players don’t have the level anymore to play for Liverpool. It happens to the best, it happened to me. It’s the end of an era.”
Real Madrid’s fifth saw a 37-year-old Luka Modric carve through Liverpool’s midfield with ease before, before Karim Benzema had time and composure to finish past a bedraggled Reds defence.
“I’m not having a go at Liverpool but you have to call a cat a cat,” the Frenchman added. “They are not playing well they are conceding a lot. We all love what they have done recently. It’s a tough one, they are conceding five at home and getting outplayed.
“When I see a guy like Luka Modric at his age getting the ball and bursting through the midfield like they were not there and passing the ball to Vinicius and Vinicius passing the ball to Benzema and him toying with the keeper, I just think that is not good enough that team gave us so much.
“But right now they are not good so they need to reinvent themselves and keep their head up until the end of the season.”
