‘Absolute turmoil’ – Steve Nicol fears for Liverpool with frightening 2026/27 prediction
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ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYNicol fears Liverpool will drop out of top six this seasonNicol couldn’t help but feel relieved that Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixture under Iraola is against a Newcastle side currently without a head coach after the departure of Eddie Howe, citing those two as the biggest crisis clubs in the division at present.The former Reds defender told ESPN FC: “I’m glad it’s Newcastle [up first], because I think they’re probably the only team in a worse mess than we are. Both teams are in absolute turmoil right now.”When presenter Dan Thomas pointed out that LFC are the bookies’ third-favourites to win the Premier League this season, Nicol retorted: “That’s absolute nonsense.
They’re not favourites to be in the top four right now. “In fact, right now they’re not favourites to be in the top six.
There are easily six teams in a better position right now than Liverpool are.”Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Even Tottenham Hotspur – who’ve been very busy in the market – could be a very different beast under Roberto De Zerbi.(Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)A top-four finish and closing the gap to the title contenders is still a reasonable expectation for Liverpool this season, although competition for the Champions League places is likely to be a lot stronger than it had been last term.Nicol’s fears over a lack of summer recruitment at Anfield and uncertainly over how the current squad will perform – especially amid a glut of injuries – aren’t unfounded, and there may be plenty of Reds supporters equally apprehensive over the state of affairs going into the new campaign.Richard Hughes has four weeks to properly back Iraola in the transfer market and provide him with a squad capable of discernibly improving upon 2025/26, and then it’s up to the head coach to get the best out of the players at his disposal.A mood of trepidation this close to the new season is understandable, and we can only hope that the new boss is able to make the best of what he’s got and begin his Liverpool reign with a series of strong results.