Liverpool’s attempt to be recognised as one of the finest teams in English football history took a hit in spring.
A 3-0 defeat to Watford in February denied them the chance to go the entire league season beaten, and they crashed out of the FA Cup just days later.
Then, Atletico Madrid knocked Jurgen Klopp’s side out of the Champions League.
It was a rocky period that took some gloss off Liverpool’s season.
But in the Premier League, they are on course to surpass the 100-point mark and will almost certainly land their first title in 30 years, so it has been a campaign to celebrate.
However, former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore doesn’t believe that the current team will go down as one of England’s all-time great teams.
In Collymore’s opinion, the lack of quality opposition means this Liverpool team can’t be considered as a team for the ages.
“Liverpool are a fine team and they will deservedly have the title wrapped up within two games,” he wrote in the Mirror.
“But while I will celebrate my old club’s success, I will also lament that their domination isn’t just because Jurgen Klopp’s side have been so good but also because plenty of others around them have been bad.
“Liverpool’s dominance is not a sign that we’re seeing the greatest sides ever, it’s about a limited number of clubs being able to fill out squads because they have the biggest budgets, something that puts other clubs in leagues at a competitive disadvantage.
“Liverpool have been exceptional but will they go down as one of the great all-time English clubs? No, for the reasons above they will not.”
Collymore believes the Premier League is experiencing similar problems as found in other European leagues, where the top teams are untouchable.
“There are issues in the Premier League that are starting to echo in the Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1, where no more than a handful of teams have the money and there is a brain drain of the top talent towards them,” he added.
It’s not Liverpool’s fault that other teams have been unable to compete with them this season.
And Leicester City, Wolves and Sheffield United are all currently in the top seven, with the Foxes in a great position to automatically for the Champions League.
Well-organised clubs with fine coaching can still succeed in the Premier League. And no side is run as well as Liverpool right now.