Thiago Alcantara makes painful admission about Liverpool struggles
Thiago Alcantara has admitted that the 2022/23 season hasn't been as good for him personally or for Liverpool as was hoped and has put it partly down to the painful way their previous campaign ended.
Liverpool went into this season off the back of narrowly missing out on an unprecedented quadruple in 2021/22. The Reds won both domestic cups but finished one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League, as well as losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid.
Thiago meanwhile was hoping to firmly establish himself as one of the best midfielders in England after enjoying a strong campaign.
However, things haven't gone to plan on either front, with the team down in ninth place in the league after 19 matches and Tiago feeling that he hasn't performed as well as previously.
He remains optimistic that the season can still be a good one thanks to cup successes but concedes that he and his team-mates have been affected by the pain they suffered last May.
“We are in a great position for Champions League and FA Cup,” he said after their 0-0 draw with Chelsea. “We are not in the position we want in the Premier League, but we are there.
“We are now in our reality where we have to go game by game. Try to add those three points will help us to be as high as possible. Our aim is the next game. It’s not about to be in the top four or to be in Europa League. We just think about next game.
“For sure," he added regarding whether last season had affected the team. "It’s not just about physical stuff. It’s also something psychological. We were so close to winning everything. We just touched it but it went away.
“Last season I had one of the greatest seasons I’ve had in my life. This season is not one of the best, but it doesn’t matter. It’s a season, it’s a challenge. I think we have great quality and great guys to sort it out and we will do that."