GARY NEVILLE has warned his old rivals Liverpool they must become more arrogant if they are to win the Premier League next season.
The Reds go into the restart 25 points clear of nearest rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool must get cocky if they are to retain their PL title, says Neville
Gary Neville has urged Liverpool to keep on improving – or risk slipping down the tableCredit: PA:Press Association
But despite needing a maximum of two wins to secure their first league title in 30 years, Neville says there is room for improvement, both on the pitch and mentally.
Already looking ahead to next season, the Manchester United legend – who won eight Premier League titles himself – said: “You really have to go to the next level.
“You can’t just repeat your performance because everybody has seen that. You have to go above it.
“Liverpool are capable of doing it but they will have a very angry Manchester City and Pep Guardiola chasing after them.
“They mustn’t think the first one is the holy grail. They should forget about it as soon as they have won it.
“That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t celebrate. They should celebrate like hell when they win it in a couple of weeks.”
My main criticism of Man City in the early years of them winning titles was that I always felt after they had won it they all relaxed.
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Neville continued by saying a lot rests on Kop boss Jurgen Klopp’s shoulders, to ensure his players are motivated to go on and retain their title next season.
The Sky Sports pundit added: “[Klopp] doesn’t strike me as the type who will get carried and think: ‘This is it. I have done it. I have won the European Cup, got my statue and won the league’. He is not that type of guy.
“But in terms of back to back titles it’s purely up here in your head. It’s not a talent thing.
“My main criticism of Manchester City in the early years of them winning titles was that I always felt that after they had won it they all relaxed.
“Winning the league either makes you feel you have done it and you will ease off two or three per cent – which is not a big margin but it’s enough to make you lose the league – or it will give you confidence, experience and maturity to make you better.
“Manchester United teams over the years was largely the same squad apart from two or three players that the manager would bring in and out.
“From that point of view he relied on our experience and confidence and maturity to grow.
“You win leagues by feeling more confident and comfortable in the pressurised parts of the season.”
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But the Reds still have plenty of room for improvement – and must avoid simply stagnating, Neville added.
He continued: “I think Liverpool can improve. Those players can improve, just by staying at the level they are at now but with having extra confidence and maturity from winning it already.
“[With the] arrogance from winning the Champions League and the Premier League in two seasons – those players should be at a level they have never been at in their lives.
“[Ex-Man Utd assistant manager] Brian Kidd told me in my early days all I had to do each season was progress, just a little bit. Something different and better. That may be fitness or a tactical change.
“I would love to see Liverpool at their peak now – that this was as good as it was going to get.
“But a Liverpool fan would hate to think this was the best of Virgil van Dijk – at his age – or the best of Trent Alexander-Arnold or that Andy Robertson wouldn’t be the same player next season.
“Why would you think that? I wouldn’t think that of Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah.
“They have produced over two or three years now. It’s not as though they are a flash in the pan.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
