'Sloppy, lethargic and lacked attacking threat' - How the national media reacted to Liverpool's shock Toulouse defeat

How the English national media reacted to Liverpool's Europa League defeat in Toulouse

Liverpool spurned the opportunity to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages by falling to a 3-2 defeat to Toulouse on Thursday night.

Jurgen Klopp made nine changes from the side that drew with Luton Town in the Premier League on Sunday, with only Alexis Mac Allister and Joe Gomez retaining their place in the southwest of France.

In response to so many changes, the Reds were unable to earn a fourth straight victory in the Europa League, though, as an own goal from Cristian Casseres and a late strike from Diogo Jota came too late to rally a comeback at the Stadium Toulouse.

Here's how the national media and the ECHO's Ian Doyle reacted to Thursday's defeat.

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Ian Doyle, Liverpool ECHO

"Jurgen Klopp knows better than most there are no short-cuts to success. So this was an unnecessary reminder his new-look Liverpool remain very much a work in progress.

"The opportunity to earn early qualification to the knockout stages of the Europa League was spurned on an evening that exposed the issues that have been nagging away at Reds supporters throughout an overall encouraging start to the campaign.

"Only a second defeat in 28 games in all competitions, Klopp’s side have earned the right to have a collective off night as there was one heavy rotation too many with Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch joining those already absent.

"But regular observers will not have been surprised by the areas in which the Reds fell short at a boisterous Stade de Toulouse, the home fans who had made themselves heard at Anfield a fortnight ago building a wall of noise that made for a lively if not exactly intimidating atmosphere.

"This was their biggest home game in years. For Liverpool, though, it wasn’t even their biggest away game of the week. And the difference in desire was too often horribly apparent."

Emma Smith, BBC Sport

"This match becomes the latest to feature VAR-related controversy in a turbulent week, although while Liverpool were denied a point, they had been well below their best.

"Toulouse are 14th in Ligue 1 - just one point above the relegation play-off places - and had lost 5-1 at Anfield in the reverse fixture earlier in this group.

"But after withstanding heavy pressure they took the lead on 36 minutes through a mistake by Kostas Tsimikas. The Greek left-back was robbed by Donnum, who strode forward into the area and found the back of the net with a shot that deflected off Quansah.

"Toulouse top scorer Dallinga bagged the second just before the hour, slamming into the bottom corner following a fine team move.

"The hosts were rocked when a defensive mix-up saw a high cross bounce off Casseres' back and into his own goal, after he turned his back on the ball expecting a team-mate to head it away.

"But they hit back immediately, Magri slamming in from close range after Caoimhin Kelleher palmed out a low cross.

"Jota's powerful low strike set up a grandstand finish, but Toulouse held on for a famous win - with help from the officials.

"Having won their three previous Europa League games, Liverpool are still well placed to qualify from Group E and need just one more victory from their final two pool matches to at least reach February's play-off round."

Chris Bascombe, The Telegraph

"It’s been a season of firsts for Liverpool.

"The first side to be awarded a goal by the video assistant referee and not have it registered on the scoresheet, and now the first to have a goal ruled out for a handball so distant in the past it could have been in a different time zone.

"Not that anyone could begrudge Toulouse the benefits of the latest Varce, Jarell Quansah denied a 97th minute equaliser for a check that required the liberal use of the rewind button.

"Liverpool had been awful before rallying from 3-1 down, seemingly on course for an undeserved draw before Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov booked half the Toulouse side for protesting too much before deciding they were right all along.

"Rather than issuing individual apologies, Kabakov effectively declared the home side the winners by colourfully gesturing to his arm, mimicking the motion of Alexis Mac Allister what seemed a few hours earlier. For all that, it would be a discredit to Toulouse, and too generous to Jürgen Klopp’s side, to allow the officials to hog the limelight again."

Lewis Steele, Daily Mail

"Of course, this was only a minor bump in the road. Liverpool are still well on course to cruise through this group and they are bookies’ favourites to go all the way before third-placed Champions League sides drop into the competition.

"But they were sloppy, lethargic and lacked attacking threat until the dying embers of the match. The Reds made a habit of slow starts and shoddy first-half performances in the early weeks of the season and this was another example that there are still cracks to iron out.

"Joe Gomez, who led the team out as captain, had their best chance of the first half after just four minutes when he turned Cody Gakpo’s free-kick on to the crossbar with a header. Gomez, who has made just shy of 200 Liverpool appearances, is still searching for his first goal.

"Toulouse had the greatest day in their history last season when they won the French Cup for the first time and their fans unveiled a giant banner with a nod to the classic film Les Bronzes. Their fans, a sea of violet shirts, bounced up and down all match and created a raucous atmosphere."