Just Liverpool News

Arsene Wenger and Steven Gerrard have said that the best way to cope with losing out on the Champions League knockout stages musn’t be to drop your heads, but to stand up and decide to go on and win the Europa League.

Wenger said last night after hearing about Liverpool’s elimination: “Well I think when you depend on the results of another team you are in a bad position. They did the job tonight but you always favour Fiorentina at home against Lyon especially when they are on a good run and have an opportunity to qualify for the first time in the history of the club if they win at home. I thought it would be difficult for Liverpool to qualify unless Fiorentina did not beat Lyon.”

“It’s very difficult to say how much impact it has on the team. They can respond well and say ‘let’s do well in the Europa League’.”

Steven Gerrard also echoed Wenger’s statement, and issued the rallying call of “onwards and upwards!”

“The disappointing thing was having to rely on other teams going into tonight,” said Gerrard.

“We’ve played fantastically well tonight and deserved the three points, so it’s disappointing that we won’t progress in the Champions League.

“You get what you deserve in this competition and the two late goals we conceded against Lyon have been crucial. But it’s gone now – it’s in the past and we’ve got to move on.

“We’re in the Europa League and we’ll go and try to win it.

“Tonight’s performance was encouraging and we can build on that. We’ve got a lot of players coming back from injury so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from here.”

He continued: “Of course because the main prize has gone.

“When you start the season, you want to stay in the Champions League as long as possible, so to be playing in the Europa League is disappointing.

“But we have to accept that, move on and go and try and win it.

“The only consolation from losing out on the Champions League is to go and win the one that comes second.”

He then went to reiterate how important it was to win against Everton this weekend, and to start challenging for that all-important fourth place in the Premiership.

“It’s important we finish in the top four, that goes without saying,” he added.

“For financial reasons, but also from a personal point of view it is important for players to play in the Champions League because it’s the best level.

“It’s important we go to Everton on Sunday, try to get the three points and get ourselves back in the top four as soon as possible.

“Now that we’ve got the majority of the squad back fit, I’m very confident we can turn things around and go on a long run of winning games.

“Hopefully Torres is not too far away and then we’ll have everyone back fit and go from there.”