Soul-searching goes on as Reds facing make-or-break season

THE last time Liverpool confronted a European exit, their disappointment was laced with acrimony.

The morning after staging their own Greek tragedy in Athens 12 months ago, Rafael Benitez delivered a scathing critique of the club’s hierarchy and challenged them to prove they shared his ambitions.

This time, there were no histrionics. Wednesday’s semi-final defeat to Chelsea was painful but the mood of Liverpool’s players as they drifted disconsolately away from Stamford Bridge was one of magnanimity.