Liverpool were touted as favourites to win the Premier League but Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have been forced to admit their mistake
Liverpool have endured difficult Premier League title defence.(Image: PA)
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were forced to admit that they got their Liverpool predictions wrong after tipping them to defend their Premier League crown.
The Reds had been touted as pre-season title favourites following their summer splurge saw them acquire Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong. However, despite the influx of talent at Anfield, Liverpool have endured a torrid Premier League title defence and sit 14 points off the current pace-setters, Arsenal.
Arne Slot’s side sit fourth, two points clear of Brentford in fifth but face the task of usurping Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in third, who have an eight-point cushion.
READ MORE: Arne Slot issues Liverpool transfer statement as Man City make Marc Guehi moveREAD MORE: Mohamed Salah’s next Liverpool game after Arne Slot’s update over AFCON return
Lineker was forced to admit that Liverpool have been “massively disappointing” but picked out Ekitike as a bright spark during a dismal campaign for the Reds.
He said: “Liverpool, now this is where it turns pear-shaped for us because we all thought they’d win the league. He (Florian Wirtz) didn’t get up to speed straight away but he’s starting to, I would say, starting to pick up and so have Liverpool to a degree.
“They’ve been massively disappointing last season, way off where they were but they’ve rallied a bit I would say in recent.
“I still think they’ll get the Champions League.
“He’s the one signing that’s really excelled (Hugo Ekitike), I think Jeremie Frimpong will show something.”
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo’s dedicated LFC Facebook page
Shearer took umbrage with the handling of the Isak situation as the Sweden international downed tools in order to depart St James’ Park, the former striker’s boyhood club.
Isak completed a Premier League-record move to Anfield but has managed just two goals for the Reds, now undergoing rehabilitation from a lower-leg fracture following a tackle from Micky van de Ven, last month.
Shearer said: “They’re unbeaten in 11 but I can’t remember seeing anyone say before a ball was kicked, the vast majority of us, all pundits said it’s Liverpool’s title.
“It’s been really, really poor, it’s been a tough season from what they achieved last season, what they’ve spent and what they’re doing at the moment is miles off what we thought.
“The Isak situation hasn’t worked out for anyone. It looked bad on Liverpool, it had Newcastle and what they went through and Isak himself.
“It reflected terribly on everyone, it wasn’t a good look for Liverpool or what he did. It got their season off to a bad start anyway.”
