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’With these results you don’t earn it’ - Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool undeserving of Champions League place

Newcastle’s late equaliser dented the Reds’ hopes at the end of a week dominated by the fall-out from the Super League plot.

Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with his team’s efforts against Newcastle (Clive Brunskill/PA) Expand

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Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with his team’s efforts against Newcastle (Clive Brunskill/PA)

Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with his team’s efforts against Newcastle (Clive Brunskill/PA)

Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with his team’s efforts against Newcastle (Clive Brunskill/PA)

Kevin Palmer Twitter

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits they do not deserve to be in the Champions League if they continue to play the way they did in the 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle.

Once again, Anfield witnessed a Liverpool tragedy and this one might have a profound impact on the club's short and long-term future.

Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock snatched a 1-1 draw against Liverpool with a goal in injury time, leaving Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to conceded his side do not deserve to qualify for next season's Champions League on current form.

Willock's goal arrived in the extra minute that was added for a VAR decision which had ruled out a Callum Wilson goal in stoppage time, with Liverpool missing a succession of chances that could have spared them from late despair.

Mohamed Salah’s goal from their first shot on target was a class apart, as he succeeded where Robbie Fowler and Luis Suarez came up short by scoring 20 Premier League goals in a season for a third time, with Klopp struggling to explain why his side had given up more ground in the race for a top four finish.

"Why it happened, I don't know," he reflected. "We had to keep the ball. In a specific way, we don't fight enough. Keep ourselves in a position where we dominate the game. We had 70% of the ball, we should have 80%. We created a lot of chances, didn't score with them, so we have to create more. That is how it is. We don't do that well at the moment.

"We scored a wonderful goal, but didn't finish the game off. Then a counterattack can happen but we had to just keep going, keep the ball and make them run. We kept them alive and they deserved the goal. They scored the one before, unlucky for Wilson but it is handball. We don't even take this present. Really tough to take.

Klopp went on to admit the draw felt like a defeat, as he failed to hide his anguish after so many months of agonising setbacks at Anfield.

"They fought for it and we got nothing pretty much, but a point. It feels like a defeat," he added. "It makes no sense to give away another chance at the end. It is tough to take.

"We have obviously lost a lot of defensive players this year, we know that, that's clear and that is a killer of rhythm and a killer of a lot of things in football.

"In the moment, frustration is obviously at 150% and I will find a way back on track but for the moment it's so harsh, it's tough to take but we have to take it.

"I'm completely fine in a game like this with a 1-0 because it's tough, they are fighting. The best way to deny the other team is keeping the ball, if you have the ball they can definitely not score.

“If we play like this and don’t finish games like this off, why should we play Champions League?

“We want to deserve Champions League and we don’t want to come and be cheeky, we want to earn it and with these results you don’t earn it.

"If you deserve, you deserve it. I didn't see us deserve playing Champions League next year today."

Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara was impressive as he dictated the game with his passing, but he summed up Liverpool's mood in an honest post-match interview.

"We have no words to explain the disappointment we have," said the Spain international

"The will to win, the desire to win is a very big part of the competition. We had a lot of chances to win in the first half.

"We tried to play our game. That was the key today. It worked very good in the first half, we created many spaces and created a lot of chances.

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"It doesn't change that we want to win and want to be in the Champions League but for that we have to deserve to be there."

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