Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino has recalled an upsetting period from the Reds title-winning season in 2020.
Having left Anfield after eight wonderful years during the summer, Firmino has penned a new book about his time at Liverpool. Although the book – ‘Si Senor: My Liverpool years’ isn’t on sale until tomorrow, The Daily Mail today carry an excerpt that will make for slightly tough reading for Reds fans.
Looking back on the extraordinary season of 2019/20, Bobby recalls how Liverpool’s Champions League loss against Atletico Madrid ‘rocked’ a Liverpool side who had previously thought themselves to be invincible.
“It was our first defeat in five months [against Atletico], only the second of the season – the other had been against Napoli in the group stage – and the truth is, it shocked us,” says the 32-year-old. “By that point in the season we had felt invincible, with a united and powerful squad. But we weren’t truly invincible.
“Rocked by the Atletico result, we found that out the hard way. After Madrid there were three more defeats, which ended up being even more significant than we could have imagined. We lost 3–0 to Watford that ended our run of 18 consecutive Premier League wins and a 44-match unbeaten streak.
“Our last Premier League loss had been to Manchester City more than a year earlier. Now our hopes of an undefeated title had been destroyed. It was a dreadful game. Everyone played poorly, the team seemed all over the place. I was very frustrated and irritated that day; I felt as if our wonderful campaign had counted for nothing.
“Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we had lost our unbeaten record in the Premier League, and got knocked out of the Champions League and the FA Cup to Chelsea. It was heart-breaking.
“Honestly, that was the team to win it all. That was a perfect team, a perfect combination. It should have delivered the perfect season. But it had gone.”
Firmino reveals Liverpool regret
The 19/20 season was a great one for Liverpool in so many ways, but Bobby is right here, it will always be one laced with regret.
There is the obvious disappointment of the Reds having to celebrate their long-awaited Premier League title behind closed doors and Firmino writes about that too. But also on the pitch, Liverpool didn’t go as far as they could have.
After starting the campaign in barnstorming fashion, there was a feeling that the Reds were ready to win it all. Already champions of Europe, it was time for them to lay down a truly incredible marker.
Unfortunately though, the defeats at Atletico, Watford and Chelsea put an end to all of that.
The losses to the Spanish side are perhaps the ones that sting the most. Having swept all before them in the Premier League up until that point, Liverpool were ready to win back-to-back Champions League titles. But then came Atleti.
Still, the Reds should have been able to bounce back from the 1-0 defeat way in Madrid. Back at Anfield they absolutely peppered Jan Oblak’s goal.
In the end though, it was really the absence of Alisson Becker that did them in. It’s hard to imagine that Liverpool’s No.1 would have conceded the sucker-punch goals that Adrian did that night. Ultimately, it sounds like the knock-on effect that had was huge.
Not to worry, Liverpool still had a magnificent season that will always be remembered. But Bobby is right – unfortunately – it could and should have been so much better.
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