Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has explained why he believes the Reds’ Champions League defeat to Napoli on Tuesday may prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Jurgen Klopp’s men fell to a disappointing 2-0 reverse at the Stadio San Paolo, but Collymore isn’t too worried about the effect that could have on Liverpool’s season.
“We need to put things into perspective and remind ourselves that Napoli have a good manager in Carlo Ancelotti, that they are a good team and that they beat the Reds last season as well – and it didn’t exactly do them any harm in the end,” he wrote in his Daily Mirror column.
“And, actually, such defeats can serve as blessings in disguise because they refocus the mind. In dressing rooms, when you’re winning, you just think you’re doing everything right, even when there is still room for improvement. But glitches like that one keep you grounded and that’s never a bad thing.”
OPINION
This seems to be a phenomenally optimistic take on what was a disappointing defeat on Tuesday. Yes, perspective is important. Napoli are a good team with some top class players and a world class manager who is incredibly proven at Champions League level. As Collymore says, the Serie A side overcame the Reds last time out and Liverpool still went on to become European Champions in Madrid. Still, defeats refocusing the mind always seems like hazy logic. Perhaps it’s true, and Manchester City’s response to losing to Norwich City last weekend would support Collymore’s theory, but you’d still rather win the game that you lost. If Klopp’s team fall short against Chelsea on Sunday then we’ll all be pinpointing the Napoli game as the start of a tailspin for the Merseyside giants. So Collymore is being extremely optimistic, here, but given how good this Liverpool side is it’s probably reasonable to.
