Retired Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Danny Murphy sat down with Get Football News ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Olympique de Marseille and Tottenham’s meeting with Borussia Dortmund. 

It’s been a difficult season for Liverpool after winning the title. Why do you think standards have slipped? 

I think there’s been a few things. Obviously, the loss of really important, brilliant footballers. Like Trent Alexander-Arnold, like Diogo Jota, like Luis Díaz. The players who have come in haven’t played to the levels those three, for example, are capable of, so that’s not been easy. I think a lot of players, four or five, didn’t have a full preseason, which didn’t help. The tragedy of Jota had an impact on the squad, and that’s hard to gauge. I think the other thing is maybe a bit of complacency in some players’ performances, which can happen. That’s why teams find it so difficult to win a title the season after winning a title. It’s probably only Manchester City, who have overcome that so easily. 

A lot of teams have struggled after winning the title because some players, not consciously, start believing the hype a little bit and don’t play to the same level. But even with all that said, the drop off in terms of results and performance was expected by anybody, including the fans. The excitement was high, the players they brought in, the money they spent. It’s been a real disappointing season in so many ways, but they’ve still got a wonderful chance to do something special, with the Anfield factor, with European nights, a bit of luck in the draw, they can still win the Champions League. 

Ok, you could argue they’re not playing well enough to win it at the moment, but they could still do it. I remember when they won the Champions League in 2005. Their performances in the league that season were average. [So] it’s possible, we’ve seen it before. And then they’re still in the FA Cup. There’s still lots to play for and be excited about. 

They’re playing a Marseille side that have already beaten Premier League opponents (Newcastle) this year. Should Liverpool be wary? 

Absolutely. Marseille are very free-scoring. I think they’ve got the most goals in the French league [having scored 41 goals to Paris Saint-Germain’s 40]. Mason Greenwood is fulfilling the potential that we all know he had at Manchester United. Super goal scorer, two-footed, can create goals from nothing. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is scoring loads of goals as he does. They’re an attack-minded team that cause you problems, and Liverpool have struggled defensively for a while now to contain teams and don’t look anywhere near as defensively solid as they did last season. So yeah, they should be very wary because Marseille are in need of a result. 

I played there myself, and I know how passionate the fans are. They’re going to be under the cosh. They’ll have moments where they’re going to be defending, and they’ll have to stay disciplined and professional. They’re going to be tested. It’s going to be a really difficult evening, and they should be really cautious and give Marseille the respect they deserve. 

Where do you think this match will be won or lost?

I think how Livepool defend will be key. I think if they’re not concentrated and they’re a bit lax, like they have been in certain games, they could get punished. They need to have the same levels of concentration they had when they turned up at Arsenal when they played Real Madrid. And actually, some of Liverpool’s better performances have come against better teams because they understand the level of quality they are up against. I think Liverpool will make chances inevitably. They’ve got so many good players. 

If you look at Marseille and the type of football they try and play, they’re going to go at Liverpool and try and score some goals. It’ll be down to how well Liverpool defend. If they defend properly and do the job that we’ve seen them do on occasion, Arsenal at home, Madrid at home, Arsenal away, if they defend with that level of discipline and concentration, then they will get chances of their own, but if they go into this game with any bit of complacency, then they’re going to get punished. So yeah, I think Liverpool’s defensive performance will be the key. 

How do you think Roberto De Zerbi has done since moving to Marseille? 

It seems quite positive. They’re competing with the juggernaut that is PSG. They finished second last year, they’re in the Champions League, and they’ve got a chance of qualifying [for the knockout rounds]. They’ve won three of their games, and the style of play has always been something De Zerbi’s teams have been applauded for. I was fortunate. I got to watch him coach the Brighton team. I went down there one day and watched him put on a session. And it was really impressive. It was intense, but it was really progressive and always about playing through the lines and trying to get forward as quick as they can, score goals, and entertain. I like watching De Zerbi’s teams, and I think he’s probably been as successful as he could be with the opposition he’s up against, hence the fact that he’s still talked about for jobs in England when they come up. You know he’s been talked about for the Manchester United job, the Tottenham Hotspur job. You don’t get talked about for jobs like that if you’re not doing something well. 

Talking about those links to high-profile jobs. Do you think he has unfinished business in England? 

I don’t know him personally, so it’s hard to judge, but most players and managers want to get to the top of the tree. And at the moment, the Premier League is the best in the world, so I think probably, yes, part of him will be maybe thinking about one day trying to have a crack at competing with the best teams, because he was never going to do that with Brighton. Although Brighton are a wonderful club, they’re never going to be competing with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City. Maybe he has got that ambition, but that would be normal. I don’t see that as a bad thing. Any manager should strive for the best. I saw it personally, the intensity that he works at. I think he’s somebody that is very ambitious. 

Pressure has been growing on Thomas Frank, with some supporters turning against him. Do you think he’s the right man for the job? 

I think he is yet to prove that. I absolutely thought he was. I thought he evolved Brentford from a very pragmatic, effective team into a really good footballing side. Although the pressure was there, it felt like he was adaptable. He wasn’t someone who was stuck in one way or convinced that there was only one kind of football to play. At Tottenham, there has been quite a long period of disappointment in terms of their Premier League performances before he came. Their home record in their new stadium has been poor. And because he started poorly at home, that’s been enhanced. He’s getting the frustration of the supporters, not only from what they’re watching now, but also from what’s gone on in the past.

Ultimately, at the top level of football, when you’ve got the quality of players that he’s got, you expect better performances and results. And he’s not providing that. There’s only so long that that will last. Now he has had some injuries, and at any club, if you’re missing two or three of your best players, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, or Dominic Solanke has been out for most of the season. It is going to affect you creatively, but you still have to find a way. And more often than not, Tottenham have been struggling. Not only to get results, but to put in decent performances. And I think the fans are already getting to the end; some of them are already there. I know a lot of Tottenham fans, and some of them are saying they need change.

I think it’s a massive week for Frank. I think he needs some positive results this week. In the Champions League against Dortmund and then in the league. I think he’s probably going to be in the job for this week, but if he loses both, it could be a situation where they decide to move on. Which I’d be sorry for, because we are only six months in. It’s really difficult for managers these days; they want success so quickly. But if they have a bad week this week, I fear for him. 

How do Tottenham turn this situation around? 

The home form has been bad all season. I mean, they got away with it because their away form was good earlier in the season, but the performances against Arsenal and Chelsea raised the alarms for the fans. And since then, there have been more problems, like going out of the cup to Aston Villa, a woeful first-half performance. Their result against West Ham on the weekend, again, the first half was poor. You turn it around by being definitive in what you want, and demanding a high level of intensity and hard work on the training pitch, and finding a team that wins you games. Even if it means not looking good on the eye.

They’ve got good players still, when you think of Randal Kolo Muani, and when you think of Richarlison, and Solanke’s back now. They’ve got plenty of competition in midfield. I know they’ve had a few injuries, but they’ve got international players. They’ve got a really good centre-half partnership. They’ve got international fullbacks. Frank has to find a way of integrating that team together to be more resilient and more creative because they’re struggling at both ends of the pitch. If they can get a good win in the Champions League, which is going to be very difficult, they’re coming up against a really good side. Confidence will grow, and players thrive on confidence. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at. It’s a really tough game for Frank. If you’re looking at the fixture list, playing Dortmund isn’t one you’d want if you’re under pressure as a manager. 

We’ve already seen Conor Gallagher arrive in this window. Should we expect more signings before the end? 

I think the simple answer is yes, because they are struggling so much, but the reality is different. If you keep buying players without letting players go, and then you get ones back fit, all of a sudden, when Kulusevski’s fit, Kudus is fit, Maddison is fit, you’ve already got Xavi Simons there, you’ve got Wilson Odobert, you’ve got Solanke, Richarlison, Kolo Muani. What do you do with all those players? I’m not sure we’re going to see that much activity. I think players coming back will be the key for Spurs, not who they’re going to sign. Now, a lot of fans might be disappointed with that, but in the January window, I don’t see them going to spend £80m or £100m on trying to get a player who can make the difference for them. They’ve got good players; they just need to do better. And they need to get their injured players back fit. 

What has your impression of Dortmund’s season been so far? 

They’re very good defensively. Nico Schlotterbeck’s a terrific player, and I think Emre Can has been playing at the back as well on occasion. I know he played there last weekend in a back three. Defensively, their numbers are really good, which is worrying for Tottenham because they really struggle to create chances. So if you’re struggling to create chances and you’re coming up against a very efficient Dortmund side, who are also blessed with a super talented striker in Serhou Guirassy, you are going to have to play well and be very disciplined to get anything in the game. Dortmund have always been known to be a very enjoyable team to watch, but they’ve only lost one game in the Champions League. They’re a difficult team to beat. For Tottenham, it’s going to be a case of patience. You’re not going to go roll over them in the first twenty minutes and be two up. That’s not going to happen. This is a classy outfit thar have European experience and know how to defend. It’s going to be an intriguing game. I’m going to it, and I’m looking forward to seeing Dortmund live. So we’ll have to wait and see, but I think it’s going to be a case of being really patient for Spurs and maybe utilising set-plays and waiting for the odd opportunity. If they get carried away with the fans’ emotion and really try to go after Dortmund, they could be in trouble. 

What is your prediction for this match? 

That’s a good question. I mean, I would like to hope. My heart wants Spurs to get a good result, and for the criticism and bad atmosphere to stop. But I think Dortmund are probably going to be too cute and clever for them. Maybe a draw if Tottenham get a draw, that would be a start, but I think with Dortmund’s quality, I’ll go 2-1 Dortmund. 

And your prediction for Marseille-Liverpool?

I think it’s going to be a really entertaining game. I very rarely predict anything other than Liverpool wins because I know how much quality they’ve got, but they’re coming up against a hostile atmosphere and a good side at home. I’m going to go 2-2. 

Danny Murphy was speaking exclusively to Get Football News in association with Spreadex Sports.