The Graham Cummins column: Why I stand over view Liverpool are overrated 

I was shocked by the reaction I received from readers of last week’s article.

I had people agree with my opinion but had a lot of readers — I imagine Liverpool supporters — who were unhappy with my comments.

I had no intention of writing about Liverpool again this week but felt that I needed to expand on last week’s article because I sense that some readers were missing my point.

Plus, the editor was thrilled with the reaction online and he insisted I do so.

I believe that this Liverpool side is a phenomenal team and have been by far the best team in the league this season but I don’t believe that they are the greatest team in the Premier League era.

The season is two-thirds of the way through and Liverpool have all but won the title, which has to be applauded.

However, I believe that if this Liverpool side played to their best level against the Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City team’s — that I mention last in my article — at their very best, they would fall short.

I predicted that Liverpool would win the title at the beginning of the season in one of my earlier pieces but felt that they would need to sign a creative midfielder to do so and obviously now, have been proven wrong.

However, I stand by my comments that Liverpool do lack that bit of genius in midfield, that United, City and Arsenal had, which is why I believe that even though Liverpool are a fantastic team, they are still lacking that little bit, to be the greatest ever Premier League team.

Liverpool fans have seen so much mediocrity throughout the years with their team, that when they finally have a team of genuine quality, they are biased and they think they better than everyone else.

Reds supporters have witnessed players like Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic, Bruno Cheyrou and Igor Biscan wear the famous jersey — players that were never good enough for a club of Liverpool’s stature — that now, they have players fit to wear the jersey, they have forgotten about just how good other clubs have been in years gone by.

I read a lot of comments about Liverpool being European Champions and their impressive points tally from last season. I must give credit to Jurgen Klopp’s side because winning the Champions League is no easy feat but they had an awful lot of luck along the way.

They were fortunate to get through the group stages of the competition last season, losing three matches. In most years, clubs wouldn’t qualify from the group with nine points.

Their 4-0 semi-final victory over Barcelona was remarkable but that doesn’t make them one of the greatest teams. The tie should have been over in the first-leg but Barcelona were too arrogant and instead of finishing their chances towards the end of that game, tried to toy with Liverpool and it backfired.

Overturning a three-goal deficit against Barcelona is impressive but not the achievement it would have been years ago. Roma managed to do it to the Spanish champions the year previous but I don’t think anyone were saying Roma were a special team for doing this.

As for getting 97-points in the league last season? Yes it was impressive but it counts for nothing. It’s about winning titles, no one remembers nearly men.

Supporters aren’t going to look back in years and talk about a side that finished second in the league, no matter how good they were.

Liverpool’s challengers for the title this season have been poor. City and Leicester City might have worried Liverpool at times but never have been consistent enough to put any real pressure on Liverpool.

Klopp’s side have been so good this season that even if City were more consistent Liverpool would have still won the title.

A lot of readers took issue with last week’s article that I felt City did not “care” about the Premier League.

I hold my hands up and admit that City obviously care about the league but I do feel that their mindset would have been fully focused on them winning the Champions League and has let their high standards slip domestically.

For all of the incredible stuff he has done since his arrival at City, Pep Guardiola was brought to the club to win the Champions League.

City could win numerous league titles under the former Barcelona manager but if he leaves City without winning Europe’s elite competition, then his time at the club will be seen as a failure.

At the beginning of the season, Guardiola and the player’s priority was to win the Champions league.

Guardiola places such high demands that it drains his players. Those demands meant that City weren’t capable of winning the Champions League and Premier League.

The City players seem to be conserving their energy to win the trophy the club has never won before.

They haven’t really put pressure on Liverpool this season in the league because they are fully focused on winning the Champions League.

Were the League City’s priority and they had put more pressure on Liverpool, I think Klopp’s team would have been more worried going into games and have dropped a lot more points.

However, City haven’t and Liverpool are coasting to their first title in 30-years but that still doesn’t make them the greatest team in Premier League history.