McKenna: Current Liverpool team is “much better” than 2005 squad

Kenny McKenna, the first manager to face Liverpool after they won the Champions League in 2005, has told the Echo that the current Reds squad is better than those who won the trophy in Istanbul.

McKenna managed Welsh Premier League champions TNS in 2005 when Rafa Benitez’s side played them in the qualifying round for the 2005/06 Champions League season after finishing outside the top four in the previous campaign.

And the Birkenhead-born man, now assistant manager of Morecambe, says Jurgen Klopp’s side are a “special” team.

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“The game has got a little bit better over that period of time,” he said in an interview with the Echo.

“I think that the side they’ve got now have been fantastic. They were excellent in the Premier League and were really unlucky. It was only a brilliant run of results from Manchester City that upset them.

“You’ve got to take your hat off to them. The game against Barcelona at home was unbelievable. For any side to beat them 4-0 must be a special team and they’ve got a really good manager.

“They deserved to win something and I’d have this team as being much better than their side of 2005.”

McKenna added: “Gerrard scored five goals against us over the two games.

“I still think we caught them at a good time though. They were only just starting their pre-season and we were probably slightly ahead of them in our preparations as we were used to being in the competition at that early stage.

“Had we played them a bit later on we might have ran the risk of having double figures against you.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com