Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright is not optimistic about Liverpool's prospects of bouncing back quickly from their disappointing season.
The former England international reckons the Reds supporters should prepare themselves for what could be a lengthy period of transition, with Champions League football becoming a distant dream rather then a regular reality.
And Wright believes that Manchester City are waiting in the wings to take Liverpool's place in the big four.
"They've won it [the Champions League] five times, as their fantastic fans love to remind us," Wright told The Sun.
"But the stark reality is Liverpool may have to get used to life outside the Champions League.
"England's most successful team in Europe's elite competition will finish sixth at best in the Premier League this season and be reduced to playing in the Europa League.
"And if Wednesday’s game at Eastlands goes the way I expect it to, I fear it could be five years or even longer before the Kop are able to muscle their way back into the top four.
"If Tottenham win, they will secure fourth spot and finally be able to get that lasagne-eating monkey off their backs and hold their heads up high in the company of Arsenal fans, who have taunted their north London rivals about their European inadequacies for so long."
But Wright believes it will be City who will prevail, and beat Tottenham Hotspur at Eastlands on Wednesday night to put themselves in the box seat for fourth place heading into the final weekend of the season.
Should the Citizens achieve the feat, Wright anticipates a rush of summer activity at the City of Manchester Stadium.
"Stars moving to Eastlands on bank-busting contracts would no longer have to use money as a reason," he explained.
"They would be able to say they were joining to play Champions League football.
"It would make the blue machine even more unstoppable in their quest for domestic, European and, dare I say it, global domination.”
"And it would also leave Liverpool out in the cold."
The former England international reckons the Reds supporters should prepare themselves for what could be a lengthy period of transition, with Champions League football becoming a distant dream rather then a regular reality.
And Wright believes that Manchester City are waiting in the wings to take Liverpool's place in the big four.
"They've won it [the Champions League] five times, as their fantastic fans love to remind us," Wright told The Sun.
"But the stark reality is Liverpool may have to get used to life outside the Champions League.
"England's most successful team in Europe's elite competition will finish sixth at best in the Premier League this season and be reduced to playing in the Europa League.
"And if Wednesday’s game at Eastlands goes the way I expect it to, I fear it could be five years or even longer before the Kop are able to muscle their way back into the top four.
"If Tottenham win, they will secure fourth spot and finally be able to get that lasagne-eating monkey off their backs and hold their heads up high in the company of Arsenal fans, who have taunted their north London rivals about their European inadequacies for so long."
But Wright believes it will be City who will prevail, and beat Tottenham Hotspur at Eastlands on Wednesday night to put themselves in the box seat for fourth place heading into the final weekend of the season.
Should the Citizens achieve the feat, Wright anticipates a rush of summer activity at the City of Manchester Stadium.
"Stars moving to Eastlands on bank-busting contracts would no longer have to use money as a reason," he explained.
"They would be able to say they were joining to play Champions League football.
"It would make the blue machine even more unstoppable in their quest for domestic, European and, dare I say it, global domination.”
"And it would also leave Liverpool out in the cold."
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