Peter Crouch tips three players to ensure Liverpool avoid title hangover

Liverpool’s rivals can forget any hopes that the Reds will start the season with a title hangover.

Because experienced stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson and James Milner just won’t let that happen.

That’s the view of former ­ Liverpool and England star Peter Crouch, who is adamant his old club’s drop-off in form after the restart was fully understandable.

Liverpool had only lost one game in 29 prior to the coronavirus-imposed break. After it, however, they suffered two defeats and drew two games in nine.

But Crouch is convinced that’s only natural after the standards they set in blowing away all-comers in the first three-quarters of the ­campaign.

He said: “You have to remember they were 20-odd points clear after the season resumed so it’s natural there was a drop-off.

“They hadn’t won the league for 30 years, so there was 100 per cent going to be a drop-off – because they were celebrating, let’s be honest.

“But once the new season starts, they’ve enough big characters in that dressing room – the likes of ­Milner, Van Dijk, Henderson – who will make sure the whole squad is ready to go again.

“So I don’t think Liverpool will carry any kind of hangover into the new season and I’ve no doubt they’ll be ‘at it’.

“It was amazing what Liverpool did last year. They were absolutely unbelievable, every single player pulled their weight, and they were a joy to watch.

“They won games they maybe weren’t great in, and then they were incredible in other games.

“I don’t think they’ll win it as ­easily this season, you can ­guarantee it’ll be a hell of a lot closer, but they have to be favourites.”

Liverpool had just 33 days between their final game of last season and last week’s Community Shield, which they lost on penalties to Arsenal after drawing 1-1 in normal time.

And Crouch knows that, after such a relatively quick turnaround, the ­mental demands on all players are going to tough this season.

He said: “Mentally, it’s going to be tough for the players coming back for this season, especially with Euro 2021 at the end of it.

“It’s just constant football. So just getting away for a few weeks before is always nice.

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“I remember when I played at World Cups, the three weeks off afterwards just flew by, and you were back in pre-season training before you knew it, while the rest of the lads had seven weeks.

“Physically, the players are in top condition but it’s tough, mentally, to get your head around getting back into football again.”

Bringing in a couple of new signings will, of course, reinvigorate squads but Crouch thinks Liverpool’s doesn’t need much tinkering with.

He said: “When you’ve got such a good squad, who won 24 games at home last season and were so far ahead of everyone else, you don’t need to be making huge signings.”

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