Champions League final: Liverpool ‘deserve nothing’ this season if they lose to Spurs, says Andy Robertson

Robertson poured scorn on the idea that Liverpool deserve to win a trophy

Andy Robertson has dismissed the suggestion that Liverpool have already earned a trophy this season, insisting he and his team-mates “deserve nothing” unless they beat Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s Champions League final.

Liverpool narrowly missed out on ending their 29-year wait for a domestic league title. Their 97-point total was the third-highest in Premier League history, but one fewer than that managed by reigning champions Manchester City.

Victory over Tottenham at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday night will mean that Jurgen Klopp’s side still end the year with silverware, and some have suggested that would only be right after an excellent nine months.

But speaking at the club’s Melwood training ground, Robertson poured scorn on that idea, declaring it “stupid”. “I’ve heard a few people say that, but for me we don’t deserve anything yet,” he said.

“The Premier League shows that. A lot of people would say 97 points deserves the Premier League, but it didn’t because Manchester City got 98. They were that little bit better than us in the end.”

Robertson added: “We deserve nothing, only what we put into the game and what we get out. If we have 100 per cent effort, and have a good game, play to our best, then we’ll deserve it.

“But we aren’t going into the game thinking we deserve it because we’ve had a good season and got 97 points. Never. That’d be stupid of us.”

Liverpool are returning to the Champions League final for a second successive season, having lost an extraordinary game 3-1 to Real Madrid at this stage of the competition in Kiev last year.

The experience of that night may benefit Liverpool, especially against a team like Tottenham, who had not previously progressed past the round of 16 under Mauricio Pochettino and are playing in the club’s first-ever European Cup final.

Like many of his team-mates, Robertson believes that last year’s defeat to Madrid can only help Liverpool, but he does not expect the 2018 final to have much of an influence on proceedings a year on.

“I can only speak personally, but I think last year we were relaxed. That’s the kind of squad we have, nothing fazes us. We knew what we were up against last season and we know what we’re up against this season,” he said.

“Both teams have got big-game experience, which can help. But last season I don’t think has any bearing on this. It’s a different challenge, a different team, different set-up. Maybe we’ll know more when the game kicks off and we can look back and say it made a difference, but right now it doesn’t feel that way.”

Robertson trains ahead of the Champions League final (Action)

Robertson recovered from that defeat in Kiev by returning home to Formby, travelling to a local DIY shop with his father and buying a brand new barbecue, ready for the arrival of friends and family for a quiet get-together later that afternoon.

A year on, he is hoping for celebrations rather than commiserations on his return. “Hopefully we’ve not got that nonsense again! I’ve still got that barbecue actually, so there’ll be no need to go to Homebase,” he joked.

“Obviously we’re hoping for much happier feelings. Last year was a massive disappointment, there’s no hiding away from that. Hopefully we’re feeling better this time, but we know what hard work has to go in to achieve that. If we can do that, it’ll be a better party!”