Pepe Reina admits Liverpool are a 'disgrace'

Pepe Reina has one word for the position Liverpool find themselves in – ‘disgraceful’.

Lyon’s last-gasp goal on Wednesday has left the Anfield club, in the words of their manager Rafa Benitez, requiring a miracle to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

And while they were desperately unlucky in France, Reina – a world class performer with elevated expectations – knows that to be in a situation where qualifying is out of the team’s own hands is simply not good enough.

It hasn’t been good enough all season. Liverpool have won one of their last nine matches, which is the sort of form that causes storm clouds to gather and talk of crisis to linger.

Reina knows what is expected of top internationals who play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, which is why he pulled no punches as he assessed the latest setback to hit the club.

“We have got two games to go in our Champions League group, and disgracefully, we are not depending on ourselves – we need Lyon to get something in Fiorentina,” he admitted.

“At the moment we are not in the best situation, but I think we have a strong character and enough quality to sort things out.

“All we can do is play with desire and passion and try to be more consistent. The worst thing is to not even be able to depend on ourselves, and instead have to depend on others. But we have to be positive now.

“It is bad but it is not over. We have to look at the bigger picture because the team is improving now.”

It comes to something when Liverpool have been installed as favourites to lift a European trophy and their fans treat the news with dismay.

The fact the trophy is the Europa League though, says it all. Because to be favourites for that competition in November when you are still in the Champions League suggests a desperate situation at Anfield.

For Reina and the rest of the Liverpool side, the devastation of conceding a goal in the last minute in Lyon was etched on their grim faces after the match.

Yet the Spanish keeper maintained an air of defiance when talking later.

“In these circumstances, the only acceptable reaction is to fight, fight even harder and be positive about what we must now do,” he explained.

“It was not good to draw when we didn’t deserve anything but a win, but now our priority has to be to win our two games that remain and we will keep trying. Miracles? They happen, particularly at Liverpool.

“If we can take a positive, then we can say at least we played well under big, big pressure. We can handle the pressure.

“We can trust in ourselves and we will turn this situation around, I am sure of that. We have got enough quality and enough character.

“It’s not a disaster. We have qualified for the last five seasons and we have reached finals and semi-finals, not many teams have done this. Things like this can happen, football is getting closer and closer and it is tough.”

It is true that dropping to the Europa League – which will happen if Fiorentina beat Lyon in 18 days – will be the low point of the season for Liverpool.

But contrary to some of the wilder reports surrounding the club, it will not herald the departure of the manager Rafa Benitez.

Should Champions League ignominy beckon, then the Spanish coach will be given at least until the end of the season to set a positive tone for the future, and prove he is the right man to lead Liverpool forward.

And the Europa League may just be a blessing in disguise under those circumstances. Benitez needs to win a trophy to show that the rebuilding job he has undertaken can pay dividends.

And with Liverpool favourites to win the competition should they come through the trap door into it, then it could just provide a high profile opportunity for the manager to make that public display of progress.

Certainly, Liverpool will not fear any team currently in the Europa League, nor any of the clubs who are likely to drop down into it, which could include the likes of Bayern Munich or Juventus.