McAllister: Liverpool need to stay strong and stop the rot

Gary McAllister knows what it is like to stand up and be counted in a Liverpool shirt, and the former midfielder insists the current crop needs to deal with pressure more effectively in order to be successful.

Liverpool seemed to be Chelsea’s main challengers at the top of the Premier League, but their woeful form in 2017 has seen them drop outside the top four.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have not won in the top flight since a 1-0 victory over Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, with defeats against struggling Swansea City and Hull City denting their title hopes.

They are also out of the FA Cup after a shock 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers and McAllister – who spent two seasons at Anfield and won five trophies – wants to see the likes Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and co return to their bold, swashbuckling form from earlier in the season.

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“You’ve got to trust yourself. As a player, if you make a mistake and there’s a little murmur from the crowd, it’s having that ability and mental strength to go on and get on the ball,” he said.

“And if the pass presents itself again, you go for it. The easy thing to do is to play safe and not take any risks, and that’s not the style of teams here at Anfield.

“Trust in yourself, get the fans back onside, and it’s amazing what a couple of results can do.

“All of a sudden you can go from being in a bad run [to a good run] and, if we can go on a good run, you know what momentum is like at this club. Once we gather a little bit, anything can happen.”