JOSHUA PECK
Liverpool hero, Craig Johnston, believes his former club should make an attempt to buy Lionel Messi after beating Barcelona in the Champions League.
Liverpool progressed to the Champions League final by overturning a 3-0 first leg deficit. A brace each for Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum earned a famous 4-0 win at Anfield and sent Messi and his Barcelona team-mates packing.
Messi is arguably the greatest player of all time but was quiet by his standards in the semi-final second leg.
Liverpool were anything but quiet, every player impressing in one of the greatest comebacks the tournament has seen. And having shone so bright, Johnston believes the Reds now have the momentum to make a big splash in the transfer window.
“They’re reaching the sky and the limit,” Johnston told Omnisport.
“They’re reaching more than their limit given their squad.
“Look at the names last night without the stars and without [Philippe] Coutinho and [Luis] Suarez.
“Imagine if they’d stayed and given their all to us. We have to get into a culture of not letting them go.
“We should be buying Lionel Messi! That’s how good we could be if you turn it around on Barcelona.
“It’s a fascinating thing for me, players and how they can find 20-30 per cent of enthusiasm and spark and other great players can lose 30-40 per cent given the mood of the match.
“It was a classic Anfield glory night.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was quick to praise his side after the win, especially given the challenge they faced.
“I said to the boys before ‘I don’t think it’s possible but because it’s you I think we have a chance’ – they are really mentality giants. It’s unbelievable,” the boss said.
“After the season we played, the games we had, the injuries we had now in this moment, if you go out there and ask who bet a penny on us, I don’t think you would find a lot of people.
“We know this club is the mix of atmosphere, emotion, desire and football quality.
“Cut off one and it doesn’t work.”
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