09Sport

According to the harshest critics, Liverpool has gone from feast to famine this season, from competing for everything to competing for nothing. While hopes of winning another Premier League title have been almost entirely dashed, detractors are far too quick to dismiss Jurgen Klopp's team as a complete write-off. That was evident on Wednesday in Amsterdam, when the Reds issued a comprehensive statement of intent, claiming that reports of their demise had been greatly exaggerated. It is not easy to advance to the Champions League knockout stages. Just ask Barcelona, who was relegated to the Europa League. Ask Tottenham Hotspur, whose hopes are still hanging in the balance. Liverpool deserves credit for advancing to the competition's last 16 for the sixth time in a row with a game to spare. They have reached the final on three of the previous five occasions. A fourth showpiece under Klopp this season would be a tall order for a team that is clearly in transition and, as evidenced...