Injuries not Klopp's farewell have deflated Liverpool

In isolation, Jürgen Klopp did not have to apologise for losing for the first time in eight visits to Goodison Park. Bad nights happen.

In the context of Liverpool’s sorry end to the season, however, an apology felt entirely appropriate.

“I really feel for the people, I am really sorry for that,” said the Liverpool manager after Wednesday’s derby defeat by Everton. “We never lost here before and that feels really different. I really apologise for that.”

Klopp’s voice and choice of words captured Liverpool’s mood as the prospects of giving their legendary manager a fitting send-off evaporate. Deflation. Yes, a new-look team was not expected to mount a title challenge this season.

That is not a default excuse for recent underperformance. Yes, a quadruple is a fanciful ambition. That does not explain how Liverpool have allowed two, quite possibly three, trophies to slip from their grasp in less than six weeks.

Klopp’s team went down without a fight at a fired-up Goodison. They have dropped eight points in the past four Premier League matches and, as the manager acknowledged, require Arsenal and Manchester City to collapse to revive their title aspirations.

The downturn started with an avoidable FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Manchester United and includes a Europa League quarter-final loss to Atalanta.

The worst European exit of Klopp’s tenure, in a tournament Liverpool were firm favourites to win, is the opportunity that really got away. Poor finishing, defensive lapses and tired individual performances have contributed to each setback.

In a scathing assessment of the derby defeat Virgil van Dijk identified another fault, one rarely lacking throughout Klopp’s reign: character.

“Games like these, the bare minimum is fight,”