Hopes and dreams crushed again. That was a great opportunity wasted last night. We can't complain too much about the result; for the first twenty minutes and the whole of the second half it was Sevilla that had controlof the game. That twenty five minute spell, for the latter part of the fist half, was the only time we looked like a team who knew what it was doing and we really needed the 2nd goal at that point.

You could tell from the Sevilla huddle and the way they lined 6 six along the halfway line for the 2nd half kick-off they were going to come at us hard. We should have been ready to deal with that. I have been saying, and agreeing with many others, that Moreno's defending is a weak point in our team. He costs us more goals with his inefficient tackling and poor positioning than he makes up for with goals and assists going forward. He is not a natural left back. That said, I'm uncomfortable with him being made sole scapegoat as we were too poor for too long last night and it's not all down to him that we couldn't find enough answers when the questions were asked of us.

As for the ref, I didn't like him for quite early on in the game, he seemed to be blowing against us for a lot of innocuous fouls. I would have said the third handball was the closest one to a penalty ( the one where the defender bent down very low to handle the ball ) . I thought the third goal came off our player ( it might have been Milner ) so it wasn't offside. Again, I don't think we can blame the ref for our defeat. Sevilla, when they got into gear, were the better team on the night.

So, season over. Let the transfer merry-go-round silly season begin. Lets hope we have a good summer and everyone come back from the Euros with two legs and they are fit and well for a whole New season. ( and that's a deliberate capital N )

I like Moreno and Sakho, but do have to admit the majority of our goals are conceded from that side of the pitch.

I (thankfully) watched last nights match on Fox Sports, with excellent commentators and HD (nah, nah! ).

Found this write up this morning from them which is, in my view, spot on. Read it, you might feel better.

LINK

Edit: Though I disagree with the mention of Toure, I do think we need better than a 35yo holding our defence.

Even Wenger can win finals.

I must be a weird breed of supporter!

All this tripe about don't worry about losing the final, less games next season etc baffles me personally.

I mean I am a supporter of Liverpool football club, I want to see lots of games, the more the better. CL football next season would have been bloody marvellous, a EL trophy last night would have been marvellous.

I am gutted we failed at both targets. It does matter, no way in hell should a LFC team perform so badly in a major final and it be brushed under the carpet. 2 or 3 of the whole team played to their ability last night and that is simply unacceptable.

I am not sitting here today thinking Yippee only 40 games next season ........I mean I assume that's what a lot of you want, us out of the 2 cup comps straight away, I mean we wouldn't want it to hinder our PL challenge would we :rolleyes

Talk is cheap, after our loss in the CC final, lessons would apparently be learnt from that defeat, next final, next defeat, no lesson learnt then?
After conceding 3 in the 2nd half to Soton and then 2 to Newc we were told they would need to treat half time as nil nil no matter what the score, 17 seconds in to the 2nd half Goal, more idle talk.
Now we are apparently better for this experience going into next season, well frankly I don't buy it.
Loss of trophy, loss of CL football and the millions that would have come with it are not things to just brush under the carpet.

The majority of players let the club down last night, big time.

Of course we all would have liked to be in the champions league next season.

All some of us our saying is we haven't qualified for EL through the league and that does benefit us. We need a season where we can just concentrate on the league.

Not being in the Europa League is not a big deal.

That had nothing to do with last nights game though. Since last nights game some are saying no big deal, no big loss we'll be stronger for it...I doubt that very much.

A very poor performance cost us a trophy and CL football so it matters and a post mortem should be going on about what went wrong rather than saying oh well off you go on your jollies boys, we'll be stronger for this next season with less games.

The players who started last night had a full week to prepare, according to Klopp pre match they were good and ready to go, a good weeks training behind them, fit and ready for it, now was their moment.......what happened then? That 2nd half was one of the worst team performances I have witnessed, and as good as Sevilla were second half they are not Barca, we should not have been overrun in that manner.

Sevilla's manager is a clued-up guy. Negated our pressing by playing over the top of it for the most part. Exploited us in wide defensive areas.

What we didn't do is take full advantage of their "Moreno". We had acres at times. We also lacked a player that has a range of passing from central areas or from defence. Henderson and Sakho are the two that come to mind but the former is just coming back and we all know about the latter.

People have criticised the attacking midfielders but they did lack service - especially Coutinho. He didn't help himself (and contributed to our defensice woes on that side) by not dropping deeper occasionally though.

Toure was our best player. Clyne started well and Sturridge's goal was magnificent. Mignolet didn't do too much wrong. Moreno is a defensive liability I'm afraid and will continue to be exposed if we persist with him.

So a left back, a rangy, creative central midfielder are definitely issues for me. I thought it was telling Klopp literally tried to pick Lallana's chin up minutes before he substituted him. Last night probably rubber-stamped a few more departures/demotions for next season.

However, positive about next season as I'm sure we'll recruit well and benefit (begrudgingly) from the lack of European football. It's an enforced opportunity to bed in Klopp's team and I truly think we'll do well - the upwards curve on our home form and goals output will continue but we need to really get things sorted at the back.

It's called football it happens. Why did Milan throwaway a 3-0 lead in 05.

Dortmund threw away a 2-0 lead @ Anfield. I'm not sure a huge post mortem is needed. Yes look at what went wrong but it's over and now its about preparing a side to compete next season.

Seville may not be Barca but lets not be thinking we are in some way levels above them. They have finished 7th in La Liga, we finished 8th in the EPL. They reached two cup finals, we reached two cup finals.

One may of made us favourites but it would be slight favourites at best.

This may sound preposterous, but does anyone else think there is the SMALL possibility that Klopp may cash in on Coutinho? I feel like he's a player that Klopp perhaps doesn't rate as highly many others do. He substitutes him fairly often (obviously not last night though) and we could get a fair bit of money for him from somewhere. His anonymity last night was quite apparent.

Of course, I hope my theory is rubbish and that defeat in another cup final and driven me to pessimistic nonsense. But it's just a thought.

Doesn't sound preposterous to me either. I was actually mortified to see Couts get a clean sweep of awards from us last week - totally bewildered frankly. He looks to me like Torres did when he wanted to leave, total lack of interest and just on the pitch to be seen. I think he may have been approached already - and I don't honestly know if that upsets or pleases me, he has definitely been lacking lately. Sure, he's pulled the odd stunning goal now and then, but I commented last night that well into the match I had barely heard his name mentioned, and it's been like that for a while now.

We will see in due time, but I think your 'thought' isn't too far off.

Well, Coutinho does tend to drift in and out of form/games. He didn't work back too effectively last night either, so I guess that'll put him in Klopp's bad books. If we get a sizable offer, I wouldn't be shocked to see him go.

Nice to see I'm the only one not thinking this. In times of past, it's always been a bit of a grim situation knowing our best player could be potentially sold. The likes of Owen, Torres and Suarez all leaving left many of us skeptical to say the least. With Coutinho though, I'm not sure I'd feel the same way. Mainly down to trusting Klopp moreso than not loving Coutinho.

Honestly, I feel like nearly nobody is safe from a potential cull if Klopp deems a cull to be necessary. The only first team players I'd say are certain of another season here are Lovren, Clyne, Milner, Can, Firmino, Origi and Ings. Everyone else I wouldn't be too sure on.

Not European ones.

Time for a bit of perspective after my initial thoughts whilst caught up in the gloom of losing last night.

This season will have been a great learning experience for Klopp.Yes we can say he should have hit the ground running in such a massive job but we simply have to give him the chance to build his own team.

He gambled by mixing selection in the PL games approaching this final but has had a real good look at our squad with that and the cup runs.

We lost the league cup final in a shootout, no shame in that for any club and we've won so many trophies that way in the past that the law of averages was going to reach us in one.

Last night we were up against a team that had massive experience at winning Europa League finals. Individual errors brought them back into the game and that experience and class then took over.

On Coutinho, and Sturridge then they'll go if want to with the chance to play at a CL club with better players around them. Unless Klopp persuades them we'll have real push for top 4 and maybe the title next season meaning they could be back in the CL for the 2017/2018 campaign.

why would sturridge and coutinho want to leave this summer?

pure speculation on the back of the club not being in the champions league. I dont think either are looking to leave so their really is no need to start worrying about players leaving,

honestly it seems every time liverpool lose a game, we hear coutinho wont be happy etc etc.

wonder if chelsea and man utd fans are the same in regards to their players.

Not convinced it's solely down to what the players want in there cases. Both are "moments" players whereas Klopp wants match players that are perpetual motion for 90 minutes. I'm sure if some fans get frustrated with such players, Klopp is too.

Sturridgd still appears to be playing within himself when it comes to really pushing it physically. Might be subconsciously but it is so evident.

The bookies had Sevilla as the favourites yesterday morning , I don't know if things changed as the match got closer though.

Coutinho would walk into any team in Europe but I don't see any of the top teams wanting Sturridge tbh.

But should he be running into any team in Europe? Eh??

You forgot to switch user....anyway I replied to you/Kobashi because you mentioned not being in the EL next season wasn't an issue, I pointed out it was a trophy and CL spot we missed out on, annoyingly.

Your post highlighted in pretty much what I said a few days ago to another user so not sure why you feel the need to point out something I'd already said myself before the match. It doesn't negate the fact they are not as good as Barca and we shouldn't be having such drastic dips in one match alone, it was as if we were playing away at Barca in that 2nd half.

Klopp said it himself months ago, not only are we inconsistent from game to game but it happens during the same match. By now they should have been addressed.

At least when A C Milan capitulated v us they still had further chances and played football, we never, we stopped playing football at an alarming rate.

I do know Coutinho has been well below par, in fact pretty poor for the last month now. I know one awful display was blamed on illness, not sure what has contributed to all the others. I love him but he has barely merited his place of late, but because he is Luis Garcia ish in that he can turn a game in an instant I suppose we had to keep faith in him.

Some people questioned during the game why Firmino was taken off instead of Coutinho, for Origi. At the time Firmino would have been my choice, as both he and Coutinho were quiet, but the difference between him and Firmino is Coutinho really can pull something out of nothing. He can give you an unexpected worldie, even if he's not been great, whereas Firmino can be anonymous in a game and remain anonymous. He has to be on his game to be the player we know he is, whereas Coutinho just needs to have the desire, if he's having a poor game.

Went to my meeting last night and did not get in till after the match was over - would have been a nightmare had we won but given how things panned out maybe it was for the best as for sure I would have found it hugely frustrating had I had to watch it. My younger son (the LFC fan as opposed to the non LFC fan) has talked me through how he saw it and he is a a fairly good judge and on top of that I have read loads on the net in the last 24 hours so I think I know how the game went - shocking 2nd half above all is the biggest thing. In fact it is recorded so if I wanted to I could watch it - but I don't really want to - I have seen the goals obviously and some of the key incidents. Just a huge disappointment that's all but it maybe shows where we really are as a club - to me that is making progress but nowhere near where we want to be.

Almost all of the players have ability and in the great wins this season under Klopp (best 7 for me were MCFC, CFC, Ston away in the League Cup, MUFC, Dortmund, Villareal, and EFC) we have seen that but we are not consistent enough - and maybe we never will be I fear with this group of players. I think we can say for sure that Klopp has improved many players as individuals - in particular Lovren, Lallana, Firmino, Can, Allen and Origi - and the atmosphere and unity within the club is now far better and that has to be a good start.

The next part is who to keep and who to sell and then who to buy over the summer - lets hope we get more right than wrong there. New keeper, new LB are for me the priorities and if we can get Gotze then we have to cos he is world class. There will be more in too I am sure - it is exciting to anticipate what may happen. How no Europe will impact this who knows - I think it will a bit as players will want to go to CL teams but hopefully Klopp will attract enough for us to end the summer with a better squad capable (we hope!!) of a PL, challenge. With the reduced number of games I do think that is not something which we should rule out but at the same time we should not put pressure on the club to say it has to happen next season - the one after will do

I would have to say I am never happy to come 2nd (or lower) at any comp we enter as I am old enough to remember when we used to win things regularly and one day before long i hope that day will return - I think it can under Klopp as he is a manager most clubs would want but we have got him and he seems to be growing more settled all the time at our club. I see him staying at LFC for a very long time. However right now I do think some have gone a bit OTT in their praise of him - he shows great promise for sure but lets wait till he has actually brought a trophy home before we hail him as some kind of LFC legend hey!! Given the fact that he inherited a squad short on real quality he has done well but the real test will be in the next 2 or 3 years to see how much progress is made then.

Sorry for my usual essay of random thoughts - overall i think we are an improving club and so there is real reason for optimism.

To conclude - I saw a question on the net last night asking what LFCs greatest victory was this season - and the answer was the inquest verdicts being overturned - totally agree. Some things are even more important than the results of football matches - even cup finals. On that note - on Sunday I am running a 5K in Liverpool which goes past both Anfield and Goodison for the families of the 96 - last year 4000 people including some LFC legends did it so I expect it to be a great atmosphere - would have been better had we won the cup but never mind, that will come one day.

Is it still possible we could still get Mario Gotze even though we are not in Europe