Liverpool are more than ready for a real title challenge

During Saturday’s early kickoff, Liverpool demonstrated exactly why other title contenders are sitting up, taking notice, and becoming nervous.

Liverpool have been accused of having a “soft underbelly” for many years now. The easy stick to beat the Reds with has been that they are always happy to cave in and ship goals in adversity. These thoughts are outdated.

The victory over Tottenham Hotspur might not have been their most free-flowing performance, indeed no performance this year has been, but at no point did they look in danger.

Sure, NBCSN commentators tried to create some drama and suggest a contest was about to erupt, but that is part of the TV game. In reality, people witnessed a Liverpool team with supreme confidence manage a game as they wanted.

The words ‘manage a game’ have been long-lost on the red half of Merseyside. In recent years, Liverpool have too often folded faster than a pack of cards at the first sight of trouble. All too often wins have become draws.

So what is the difference this year…didn’t Liverpool still concede late and have to hold on for the win?

Well, yes, they did. However, the difference is the current squad’s reaction to mistakes and adversity. Players will make mistakes, this much is a constant in football. What is rarer, is a group of players adept at brushing off a blip and sticking to the agreed game plan.

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Let’s be very clear, if Sadio Mane or Mohammad Salah felt there was any doubt about the result in the second half, they pass the ball to open men and Liverpool rout Spurs by four or five.

It is precisely this confidence in success from front to back that has the Reds picking up wins for fun. The trust in each other not only knowing their own roles and being better than the opponent, but also covering for errors is special.

One piece of play that nobody is likely to remember from Saturday’s game sums up the mentality of this Liverpool team. And no, it isn’t the goals of clear-cut chances.

In the final third of the first half, Salah received the ball around 10 yards into Spurs territory surrounded by opposition players. Most teams would sit, hope that a special player like Salah could create something, but anticipate that possession was about to be turned over.

What happened? Gini Wijnaldum gambled. He ran past the entire Spurs midfield knowing that Salah was good enough to control the situation and flick the ball into space.

The result was that Wijnaldum was free carrying the ball in a dangerous situation that could easily have led to a goal. Most sides would have been 60 yards deeper and defending.

Countless times Liverpool show this bravery and trust in each other’s ability, and this feeds into why they no longer have game management issues. The combination of top quality players, confidence, and good management means the Reds are setup for success.

So, next time Liverpool concede a goal, stop. Have a look at Virgil van Dijk, at Trent Alexander Arnold, at Sadio Mane. Are they worried? No. And neither should you be.

The Reds have this. Will they win a major trophy? Who knows. Often, that is out of the team’s hands and fine margins count large.What we do know, is that this current group of players are up for the challenge.