Liverpool don’t have better players than many of their top six rivals, according to John Barnes.
The Reds sit atop the Premier League having made an unbeaten start to their season, but the ex-Kop hero has claimed that it is the spirit of the squad, rather than the talent of the individual members, that has helped them achieve their success.
Speaking on the Offside Rule podcast, he said: “Liverpool haven’t got better players than Manchester United or Arsenal or Tottenham.
“What they have is more harmony, more belief, togetherness, and belief in the manager.”
OPINION
This is a big claim from Barnes, and one that is arguably quite difficult to prove or disprove. Pound-for-pound, player-for-player, football is a game of opinions, and while Barnes might argue that there is little difference between Liverpool and a side like Spurs, for instance, others might argue that there is a chasm in quality. What you would have to acknowledge is that the Reds have arguably got the best players in key positions. There is no better centre-back than Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League right now, nor is there an attacking trio as potent as Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino. Barnes is right to suggest that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts though. This Liverpool squad has got something special about it, and while that shouldn’t in any way devalue the quality of these players, it is important that we recognise the importance of a united and confident dressing room.
