Roy Keane hits out at Liverpool again as Reds branded 'bad champions'

Roy Keane has branded Liverpool 'bad champions' and believes there are bigger issues behind the scenes as the Reds sit 21 points behind Arsenal after winning last season's title

Roy Keane has taken aim at Liverpool's players

Roy Keane has labeled Liverpool as "bad champions" in a scathing critique of the previous season's Premier League victors. After a triumphant run last season, this term has been fraught with challenges for Arne Slot and his team.

Not only have the Reds fallen out of the title race, trailing Arsenal by a staggering 21 points, but they're also scrapping to secure a spot in next season's Champions League. Liverpool's quest suffered a blow on Sunday when Richarlison netted a late equalizer, earning Tottenham a draw at Anfield.

Dominik Szoboszlai had put his side ahead just 18 minutes into the game, but it was a familiar story for Liverpool as the ex-Everton player capitalized on weak defending to snatch a crucial point for his team in their fight against relegation to the Championship.

Post-match, former Manchester United captain Keane criticized Liverpool's players for their performance this season, suggesting deeper issues behind the scenes, reports the Liverpool Echo.

"Considering they were league champions last year, I've said it before and I've said it a number of times, Liverpool are bad champions," he told Sky Sports.

"They have been bad champions and they were bad champions a couple of years ago. They are now 21 points behind Arsenal; what a drop-off that is! That is so bad.

Richarlison celebrates after scoring against Liverpool(Image: (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))

"I think there are issues going on in the background; I think there are bigger issues. They are details you can fix, but I think there is stuff going on, I don't know if they are all on the same page and there doesn't seem to be that chemistry with the players.

"You are on about when you win big titles, sometimes the big challenges the following year – can you back it up?".

"You can obviously have a drop-off, and City have had a drop-off recently in terms of their high standards, but they are still competing in second or third.

"They are not 20 or 30 points behind the team who is winning the league. That is a drop-off, but for Liverpool to be so far off last year, they lost four games; they have lost nine already this year, and I find it hard to get my head around that."

When it was highlighted to him that several of those defeats last season occurred after Liverpool had already secured the league title, Keane added: "They were slacking off a little bit and switched off, of course.

"But it is almost that mentality, and last year I was critical of Liverpool, and I felt they were always partying too much. They were partying with four, five, or six weeks to go, and there was celebrations after every home game, and you are going. You are Liverpool Football Club; are you not expected to win league titles?

Virgil van Dijk following Liverpool's draw with Tottenham(Image: (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))

"So when you do win it, enjoy it, but let's back it up next year. That is why you are playing for the big clubs, not like those teams who win a trophy and then disappear for 10 / 15 years, and I will be thinking the same about Arsenal.

"When Arsenal win the league this year, I don't want Arsenal to disappear for the next three, four or five years. You have got to back it up and not be 20, 30 points behind the top team next year; you have got to compete. That is your challenge.

"And when you are giving up goals like that, whether it was the ones at Wolves recently or even the game against Man City, I look at this group of players, their mentality and work rate and desire and what they are doing on the training pitch, and I don't like what I see with this Liverpool group. I just don't like it."