Liverpool are well placed to challenge for the Premier League title.
Gary Neville believes that Liverpool’s best bet of winning the Premier League title this season would be to bow out of the Champions League in the group stages.
The Merseyside club are viewed by many as genuine title contenders this season and have begun the new campaign with four consecutive victories, but travel to Tottenham at the weekend.
Pundit Neville insists that Liverpool’s high intensity means their attacking players will burnout from playing two times a week on a regular basis.
The ex-Manchester United defender claims that Liverpool will have a better chance in the league, if they don’t have to balance a European competition alongside it.
“The Champions League — if I was Liverpool, I would kick it into touch,” Neville told the Times.
“I know that’s very hard to do but if they could go into February, March, April without it, I think they could have a real chance [of winning the Premier League] if they had free weeks.
“Why? I think their method is exhausting for the front three [Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino]. The drop in quality below them, if there are injuries or playing Wednesday, Saturday, I think it will take its toll.”
Liverpool made it all the way to the Champions League final last season, but as a result had to secure their top-four spot in the league on the final day.
Jurgen Klopp’s side now look strong to beat anyone in the league on their day, but whether they can maintain that over an entire season and topple last season’s champions Manchester City remains to be seen.
The Reds have the dynamic attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, who are almost impossible to replace in the starting XI.
But the shrewd signing of Xherdan Shaqiri this summer gives them another top option to use in the final third and allows Klopp to rotate at times.
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