Roy Keane said Liverpool were bad champions. For his era, maybe. Terrible champions from the time when Keane played. But now? Football has changed. These days the decline Keane finds so shocking is increasingly commonplace.
Since Manchester United won the League in 2010-11 and then came second in 2011-12, no team defending the title have finished higher than fifth — except Manchester City.
Even if Liverpool did not rise above their current eighth place, they would not be among the two worst defending champions across the last 10 seasons.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side have been accused of being 'bad champions' by Roy Keane
It is testament to the strength and openness of the Premier League that success is largely not sustained.