Premier League vs. Champions League: Where should Liverpool put their focus?

© Reuters
Liverpool haven't won the top flight of English football since 1990. Fans have been desperate for the title to return home ever since, resigned to the fact the vast majority of them been lifted just 40 minutes down the M62 in Manchester.

That could well happen again, with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side in the driving seat, just two points behind the Reds with a game in hand.

Of course, it's better to have the points in the bag, and City's game in hand is a trip to Old Trafford on April 24, which won't be easy. However, the bookmakers aren't expecting them to slip up, with Ruby Bet Sports Betting now offering the club at 4/11 to win the title.

Which puts Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp in a compromising position.

Games are coming thick and fast for both City and Liverpool with huge Champions League ties in between the title run in, not to mention City's FA Cup semi-final. Manchester City undoubtedly have the squad depth to cope with that, but do Liverpool?

It's thought that bringing the league back to Anfield is priority for the club, but with the title ultimately out of their hands, is it a decision that's naive and one that could leave Jurgen Klopp falling at the final hurdle once again?

Liverpool rely heavily on their three-pronged attack and it's going to be pushed to the very max over the coming weeks. Rest players in the Champions League for big league fixtures and egg could firmly be on their faces. Rest players in the weekend's Premier League for the Champions League and their title hopes could come further unstuck.

The club have been blessed with one of the more favourable draws in the Champions League final, following their magnificent win over Bayern, but beat Porto and that's another two games added to the fixture list, potentially tiring that starting XI and frontline further.

Pundits said an exit in the Champions League would boost their title hopes, much to Klopp's dismay, giving them focus for the remainder of the season, but if Liverpool are going to win silverware, isn't their most likely chance via that very competition?

With the exit of Real Madrid and PSG from the tournament, the Reds have a realistic chance of winning Europe's top prize, which would not only be bigger in terms of prize money for the club, but also another step forward in attracting the world's star players and keeping hold of them too.

The financial implications are huge and whether fans like it or not, that's massively important to clubs, and many of the fans growing up as part of the FIFA and social media generation.

That's evident in the shift in priorities of huge clubs such as PSG, Real Madrid and even Manchester City. The emphasis on winning the Champions League couldn't be greater.

Lionel Messi addressed a Camp Nou crowd at the beginning of the season claiming it was their main goal, while Ronaldo's move to Juventus was based purely on having the star-power to lift the title.

That mentality doesn't appear to be with Liverpool, even last year when they made it to the final. Chasing Manchester City is where the main focus is currently and while it will be a huge achievement for the club, rightly or wrongly, they could be missing the bigger picture.

If Liverpool are to develop into one of the world's top sides, Champions League success is essential. Putting all their eggs into the Premier League and falling short in both competitions could well be Klopp's biggest mistake to date.