WE MUST PLAY FOR KEEPS
JAMES MILNER believes Liverpool must inject pragmatism into their game if they are to challenge for the title.
Liverpool threw away a 2-0 lead against Arsenal at the Emirates on Friday night and were eventually grateful to rescue a point.
Last month, Jurgen Klopp’s men squandered a 3-0 lead in Seville to draw 3-3 in the Champions League.
“We have maybe got to shut up shop and be a bit more defensive,” said Milner, who came on early in the game against Arsenal to replace the injured Jordan Henderson.
“We obviously didn’t do that and made a couple of mistakes. At this level you get punished. Attacking football has defined the team this season, but you have to know when to rein it in a bit and play a bit tighter with the formation we have rather than score every time we get it. That is something we have to learn.”
Swansea visit Anfield on Tuesday, and Milner wants that to be the first day of the rest of the season.
He wants an adjustment to the current Liverpool “we will score one more than you” philosophy which is reminiscent of Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle in the late 1990s.
“We have got to change that now,” said Milner. “It has been a big strength for us, but it is about knowing when to take that five or 10 minutes in a game.
“It doesn’t mean we have to change our style of play, but for those few minutes we should shut up shop.”