Gary Neville believes Liverpool ‘need a little refresh’ to hit their own supreme standards but insists the Reds are still good enough to win the Premier League title this season.
Jurgen Klopp’s men drew 2-2 with rivals Manchester City on Sunday after a poor performance in the first half.
Liverpool have been famed for their swashbuckling football and blistering attacks in recent years and so the display during the opening 45 minutes was out of character and not what the Anfield faithful have been used to seeing.
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While two protagonists of the Reds’ recent success combined for the opener, Mo Salah expertly playing in Sadio Mane who rifled home before the Egyptian attacker scored a sensational solo effort, Liverpool were pegged back twice and had to settle for a point.
Sky Sports pundit Neville doesn’t think Klopp’s side are close to the level they reached when they recorded a total of 97 points in 2019 and 99 points when they won their first Premier League title in 2020.
However, the former Manchester United right-back insists that is only because the standards they previously set were so high and believes even in this form, Liverpool have enough quality to lift the trophy again.
Speaking live from Anfield after the game for his Sky Sports podcast, Neville said: “I said after the Chelsea game here a few weeks ago I didn’t think that Liverpool were just right.
“They’re still setting a good standard but the problem is they set themselves a standard you very rarely seen in English football, a couple of years ago and they’re not at that standard.
“There is no doubt this team is not as good as the one from two, three years ago when they were absolutely blistering in possession and out of possession.”
Neville doesn’t think Liverpool are showing the same sort of energy as past campaigns and added: “It’s not quite the same physical performance and I don’t quite know why that is; something’s just gone a little bit.
“They’ve no doubt worked hard in these last four or five years, it’s been an outstanding performance but they look like they need a little refresh to go back up to that level.
“This level they’re at now can still win them the title this season but it’s just not the same as it was and it just allowed City in that first half to gain a lot of confidence.”
Pick your Liverpool MOTM here
Seven games into the campaign, Liverpool are second on 15 points, one behind leaders Chelsea heading into the international break.
The Reds will travel to Watford on October 16 for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off before taking on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stages.
A massive match follows the trip to Spain, with Klopp and his men heading to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
