5 qualities Liverpool need to find to have success in 2018
By David Gate
No.4 – Nastiness
We have none of this. Absolutely no snide, no needle. Maybe nasty is the wrong word. But you know what I mean; that strain of competitiveness that pushes good sportsmanship to its limits.
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher had it. Graeme Souness was made from it. Luis Suarez was constantly trying to keep it under wraps, or more accurately, his mouth shut. The nearest our side gets to this is an occasional Henderson rant. It’s not the same.
In Naby Keita we have one player on the way who will bring a bunch of that spirit. The Guinean midfielder has two red cards and five yellows for Red Bull Leipzig. While you are not keen on picking up cards and suspensions, you do want a player who at least COULD get suspended for his passion.
One huge strength Liverpool have is a joy in playing football. Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane and Mohamed all play with a smile on their face. The friendship between Alberto Moreno, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino is always fun to watch and very welcome.
However, alongside that joy we need a bastard or two. Players who gets their joy from winning. And take it personally when we lose or, as is more common this season, draw.