Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool are encountering the same problems Manchester United faced during their Champions League triumph in 2008.
Liverpool were seven points clear of current Premier League leaders Manchester City in January but the title race has shifted in recent weeks with the Reds dropping to second.
What problems are Liverpool facing? Five key things to know…
- Liverpool are looking to end their 29-year wait for a top-flight title this season.
- The club were atop the table in January but draws with Leicester, West Ham, Man Utd and Everton have seen City overtake them.
- They have been accused of fatigue in recent outings but Klopp remains adamant his side are firmly in the title race.
- Ferdinand believes the club are suffering from nerves because it’s been so long since they last clinched the title.
- He has compared the club’s difficult period to Man Utd’s Champions League triumph in 2008 because they themselves hadn’t lifted the trophy since 1999.
Jurgen Klopp’s men bounced back from their lukewarm performance in the goalless Merseyside Derby stalemate with a comprehensive 4-2 win over Burnley on Sunday.
Victory eased tensions at Anfield, but Ferdinand still believes the club have become crippled by a “nervousness” in recent weeks, mainly because they have not tasted top-flight silverware in nearly three decades.
The former England international has compared Liverpool’s current predicament to that of Man Utd’s Champions League success in 2008, insisting the thought of prolonging a trophy drought caused a sense of unease in the dressing room.
Ferdinand told talkSPORT: “Manchester United’s first trophy after 26 years was a huge turning point for the club.
“When I was at United we won the Champions League in 2008. Before that it was nearly a decade since we had last won it [1999] – it was such a long wait.
“That was resting on our mind for a while, and I’m sure it is with Liverpool. They’ve been great this season but they need to take advantage of this opportunity – they don’t come around all the time.
“What I’ve been seeing from Liverpool in the big matches is a bit of nervousness creep into their game – they’re playing with a handbrake on at times.
“They’re playing a little bit uptight, and it’s understandable because they’ve not won anything for years.”
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Premier League distraction
Despite Klopp currently in the midst of a fiercely competitive title race, the German coach will have the small matter of locking horns with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The Reds travel to the Allianz Arena for the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash against the Bavarians with the score 0-0 on aggregate.
Mohamed Salah has recently conceded he would be more than happy to “sacrifice” his own dream of lifting the prestigious trophy to focus on the Premier League, but Liverpool will be determined to replicate their European form from last season.
The Anfield club will be without Naby Keita but have welcomed back James Milner who sat out of the Burnley clash with a slight hamstring complaint.
Klopp will be relieved that both Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich are suspended for this encountered but Niko Kovac has a whole host of world class players at his disposal and should have no such problems finding adequate replacements.
And so, the stage is set for another European classic in Bavaria – Liverpool need just a score draw to progress to the quarter-finals.
The post Rio Ferdinand: Liverpool have the same problem as my old Man Utd side appeared first on Squawka News.
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