John Barnes believes ‘the character of the squad’ has taken Liverpool to title

By Carl Markham, PA

Former Liverpool winger John Barnes believes character rather than quality has been the difference in this season’s Premier League title race.

Arne Slot’s side need just a draw to win a second title in five years as only two league defeats all season has left them 12 points clear with five matches remaining.

Barnes won two league titles with the club and was a member of the 1990 side which was the last to win the championship before a 30-year wait was ended by Jurgen Klopp and he sees similarities with the team of his era.

“It’s nothing to do with the quality of the squad, it’s to do with the character of the squad because they all have good players,” the 61-year-old, who is attending Sunday’s London Marathon to encourage runners at Lucozade’s Bring The Energy Zone, told the PA news agency.

“The character of the players is why we are where we are.

“Character is about winning football matches, not titles. If you look at what we have done in the last month – not withstanding losing to Newcastle and Paris St Germain – we haven’t played sparkling football but we’ve got the job done.

“You need your character not when you are playing well and you are winning, it is when you are struggling, and that is what Liverpool have done and why they are still 12 points clear.”

Klopp’s departure last summer was a pivotal moment but Slot and the players have handled the transition remarkably.

General opinion was a top-four finish would have been acceptable in the Dutchman’s debut season yet Liverpool have surpassed expectations and Barnes thinks that has a lot to do with how players have responded to the change.

 

“The mentality (for the team of his era) was, once it’s gone you put it to the side and move forward,” he added.

“We lost against Arsenal in 1989, we put that defeat to the side, and we went into the next season with the right mentality and commitment.

“We didn’t wallow in self-pity and despair, even though we lost in the last minute of the season.

“A lot of the credit goes to the players as they have bought into what the new manager wants because we have seen where managers like (Sir Alex) Ferguson and (Arsene) Wenger have left and players haven’t responded to the new manager.

“It would be easy for them if they didn’t want to do it because no-one would have blamed the players, they would have said ‘Arne Slot isn’t good enough’.”

Barnes believes that mentality will stand them in good stead for the challenge of defending their title next season.

“When you win you don’t get carried away and feel how great you are because you can easily fall away in the following season,” he said.

“Yes, we’ve won but that doesn’t mean all of a sudden it’s going to be easy next season.

“It’s going to be equally as hard but looking at the players’ attitude I have no fear – and I’m not saying they will win the league next year as Man City and Arsenal will come again – but we will be challenging, which is all you can ask.”

:: Lucozade is the longest serving partner of the TCS London Marathon, with the partnership spanning 24 years and John Barnes will be in attendance at Mile 23 of this year’s event, encouraging runners at Lucozade’s Bring The Energy Zone.