Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah said he was “devastated” the club missed out on a place in next season’s Champions League and added there was “no excuse for it”.
Liverpool will finish fifth and play next season in the Europa League.
“We let you [fans] and ourselves,” said Egypt international Salah, 30.
Liverpool have won seven of their last eight games in a late push for fourth place but, in the end, could not recover from their inconsistent form for most of the season before that run.
United need just a point at home to Chelsea in the penultimate game of their season to confirm their place in the Champions League and join champions Manchester City, second-placed Arsenal and Newcastle United as England’s contingent in the -first competition in Europe next season.
“We had everything we needed to get to next year’s Champions League and we failed,” said Salah, who was part of the Liverpool team that won the tournament in 2018-19 and lost in last year’s final to Real Madrid.
“We are Liverpool and qualifying for the competition is the minimum.
“I’m sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post.”
Liverpool started the campaign with promise by beating Manchester City in the Community Shield but have since won just two of their opening eight Premier League games.
They struggled away from home in the top flight before their recent upturn in form, with three of their eight defeats coming from relegation battles with Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Bournemouth, while they were only beaten by struggling Leeds United at home in the league.
Liverpool were comfortably beaten by Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League this season, while they went out in the fourth round of the FA Cup and League Cup to Brighton and Manchester City.
Salah, who signed a lucrative new three-year contract with Liverpool last summer, has scored 19 league goals this season, with six coming in 14 games before the 2022 World Cup and 13 of the 23 games after the tournament.
