I WANT A MUNICH CHEER FESTIVAL
Shaqiri: We need a ruthless title-winning mentality like we had at Bayern
XHERDAN SHAQIRI says Liverpool need to match his old club Bayern Munich’s ruthless approach.
The Switzerland forward moved to Anfield from Stoke as part of Jurgen Klopp’s summer spending spree.
Shaqiri has since helped last season’s Champions League finalists to the top of the Premier League with four wins from their opening four games, a start that has strengthened belief that the team who once dominated English football could roll back the years with a first title in almost three decades.
Saturday’s showdown with Spurs represents their toughest early-season test so far.
And Shaqiri, who lifted the title twice in his two-and-ahalf years at Bayern between 2012 and January 2015, said it’s the kind of match Bayern would routinely win.
“At Bayern Munich they have only the mentality to win titles,” he said.
“Liverpool are one of the biggest teams in the world. Last year they had a very good year. Sadly they didn’t win anything but now we are trying to make a step forward and win titles. That’s the most important thing and it has to be our goal. To win titles.”
The 26-year-old said he wasn’t fazed to move to a club of Liverpool’s stature because he knew what to expect from his time at Bayern.
“Liverpool is a big, big team but I know how to be in a big team because I played at Bayern Munich and I played
at Inter Milan,” he said. “So I knew what it would be like.”
Since the formation of the Bundesliga, Bayern have been the dominant club in German football with 28 titles, including 10 of the last 14.
Liverpool have never finished top of the Premier League but Shaqiri reckons victory over Spurs at Wembley on Saturday would be a huge step towards ending that drought.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game,” he said.
“They have a lot of dangers. They have a team that has been playing together for many years ao that’s a plus for them.
“They know each other very well and you can see that on the pitch, the way that they are working together.
“So we know that they have a talented team. But we will go there and try to win the game.”
Shaqiri revealed that despite Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Leicester in their last game before the international break, Kop boss Klopp is demanding more from his players, especially as the Reds were below par in that victory at the King Power.
“It is not always the case that everything is perfect but you have to win games, that is the most important thing,” Shaqiri said.
“The manager wants us always to work hard on the pitch, every match.”
The Swiss playmaker has so far been a substitute this season but says he will wait patiently for his chance.
“I am very relaxed,” he said, “because we have a lot of games and every player is going to have enough games to play.
“I am looking forward to the Champions League but the first game is Spurs and I don’t want to look too far forward.”
Liverpool had a good year but didn’t win anything. Now we have to step forward