Liverpool are set to finish the season once again outside the top four positions, which will mean that they will miss out on the Champions League football for the fourth consecutive season. The team has not been in the competition since 2009. The revenues from this competition is seen as one of the major reasons for the sustainability of a top club. The presence of Champions League football has also become an important factor in attracting quality players to the club.
Due to the lack of the same, it has been rumoured that players like Luis Suarez will be interested in a move elsewhere. The club captain, Steven Gerrard, has acknowledged that the club needs to finish in the top four in order to attract top quality players. However, he is of the opinion that the players will arrive at the club even without Champions League football due to the history of the club. He has targeted a finish in the top four next season as his main priority. However, the club needs to bring in a few players during the summer if they are to do so according to Gerrard.
He has pointed to a couple of matches were Liverpool have been unable to match their opposition in terms of quality and squad strength.
“In the minority of games we’ve played well enough to be higher than where we are in the league. But when you look at performances like Southampton, [Aston] Villa at home, West Brom away, Arsenal at home, there’s a handful of games where this team hasn’t turned up. That’s the reason why we are sitting where we are in the table. In between those games there have been some fantastic performances, well worth a top four finish,” said Gerrard, who has been an ever present for Liverpool in the league this season.