Liverpool legend John Barnes has said that his former team are more than capable of finishing 3rd in league this season, but won’t manage to win the league, despite developing a title challenge over the last few months. Liverpool have gone 8 games unbeaten in the league now and are just four points off the top going into their away fixture against Southampton, but Barnes doesn’t think that they can manage it this season.
“I think they’ll finish in the top 4 definitly,” Barnes told SkySports, “but I think they can finish third, I don’t think they can win the league just yet. If we can keep our best 11 fit and playing consistently we can have a chance but history tells us that that sort of progress doesn’t happen over a season. If we can get into the top 4, which I think we will, we can make some good signings and then next season make a real challenge for top spot.”
The form of attacking quartet Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Phillipe Coutinho has had many Liverpool fans comparing them to Barnes’ day. One obvious comparison would be Barnes himself to Raheem Sterling, who, like Barnes, was also born in Jamaica, but instead chose to represent England at international level.
“I’ve been very impressed with him over the last 6 weeks. He is playing well but because of his age I expect a dip in form. I don’t want to put pressure on him by saying that he is now playing well and continue with this form for the rest of his career. We have to allow for a dip in form.”
“Hopefully there isn’t a dip, but right now he is one of the best players in the country.”
Barnes says it is also unfair to compare the current attack to likes of himself, Peter Bearsley and Ian Rush, which many fans are starting to due to the current form of their strikers.
“When I came to Liverpool was 23 years old, I had 35 England caps and had been playing in the top flight for 6 years. Peter [Beardsley] was the most expensive player in England at the time. We were experienced players who had been around a while, and we had hit our potential or were very close to hitting it. It would be unfair to compare them to Sterling who is only 18, and Coutinho who has only been at the club a year.”
By Ben Kelly
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