There are definitely five teams that are better than Liverpool

This may seem like an obvious one, but yes, the main reason why Liverpool won’t finish in the top four and should be grateful for Europa League football is that Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are all superior to Liverpool in almost every department. From the experience and quality of their playing staff right through to their budgets, even if some of those teams haven’t spent the money that is available to them yet (insert your own Arsenal joke here) all the previously mentioned sides are better equipped to finish above Liverpool.