It seems Liverpool’s problems now extend beyond the pitch, all the way to the runway.
The Reds’ journey to Germany for their UEFA Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt descended into chaos on Tuesday, after a technical fault grounded their aircraft and forced a three-hour delay. As if four losses on the bounce weren’t bad enough, now even planes are refusing to take them to another potential disaster.
To add to the mess, midfield signing Ryan Gravenberch, whose impact this season has ranged from invisible to injured, was left behind due to an ankle problem. Not that his presence would’ve shifted the odds much.
“Our pre-match press conference for the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt has been cancelled,” the club stated. “A delay in the squad’s scheduled flight out to Frankfurt, due to technical issues with the aircraft…”
Translation? Chaos reigns, and the wheels, quite literally, are coming off.
Liverpool, once feared across Europe, now stand on the brink of a historic collapse. Should they lose to free-scoring Frankfurt on Wednesday, it’ll mark their fifth consecutive defeat, something that hasn’t happened since 1952, when televisions were black and white and the club still had hope.
And while Gravenberch limps off the scene, the spotlight shifts to Florian Wirtz, the £100 million recruit who’s barely been seen since signing. Perhaps a return to Germany will remind him how to play football.
Also returning? Hugo Ekitike, in what some might call a “revenge match” against Frankfurt, though Liverpool fans would probably settle for just avoiding embarrassment at this point.
Both clubs sit on three points from two matches, but with Liverpool’s current trajectory and Frankfurt’s firepower, the German side may only need to show up on time to win.