Saturday 28 July 2018 23:35, UK
Andrew Robertson is sure Liverpool are better equipped to maintain a Premier League title challenge this season.
Liverpool finished 25 points adrift of runaway champions Manchester City at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, but left-back Robertson is sure they can close that gap significantly.
The Reds have been the biggest spenders in the summer transfer market, spending significant sums on goalkeeper Alisson and midfielders Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Add in a first full season at Anfield for £75m defender Virgil van Dijk, and Robertson is enthusiastic about Liverpool ending a title drought that stretches back to 1990.
"Last season, City just blew everyone away really," said Robertson, who also admitted it took him a long while to get over Liverpool's defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
"The first part of the season was crucial, and they were too far away from us from quite early on really. The gaffer's identified players who he thinks can come in and make a difference.
"It's always good to get to know the new guys. There's a bit of a language barrier with Naby and Fab, but they've settled in really well. Shaqiri and Alisson, I'm sure it'll be the exact same with them.
"Last season we were doing well with injuries then it all sort of hit us at once. We struggled near the back end of last season with that. This year, we've got a stronger squad and the competition is there.
"If there's competition in training then the training is intense, and then you have the pressure of a weekend that if you don't put in good performances then your place is maybe up for grabs.
"Coming back for pre-season, it's a fresh start for everyone, players and staff. We can use the experience of what we did last season this time around, not just in the Champions League but in the FA Cup and the League Cup, too.
"Hopefully we can use that, hit the ground running and keep the confidence from the back end of last season."
