Team spirit key in moving forwards, says Mane

Liverpool striker believes team have improved in the past few months

Reuters February 28, 2018

Upstaging the big guns: Mane believes Liverpool have the ability to beat any top-six rival on any given day. PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON: Liverpool's strong team spirit is a key factor in the Premier League club's brilliant run of recent form on the domestic front and in Europe, Senegalese forward Sadio Mane has said.

Liverpool have lost just once in the league since October to climb up to third, two points behind second-placed Manchester United, and they are on the verge of sealing a Champions League quarter-final berth after a big first leg win in Portugal.

The Meryseyside club recorded their third victory in four league games on Saturday with a 4-1 thrashing of West Ham United and Mane credits the team's formidable form to unity.

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"The team spirit is good and the confidence is here so I think we are in a good way," Mane was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo. "Every single player is always very happy playing with each other... I think that is the team's power and the team's purpose. We are lucky boys and we are going to keep trying to work hard and give our best when we take our places on the pitch to continue to try and win the games.”

He added: “I can sense that the club is moving in the right direction. At the moment, we are in a good way so everything is possible. I think we have improved a lot in the past few months. We know that on our day we can beat any team in the world."

Liverpool are 15 points behind league leaders Manchester City with 10 games remaining but captain Jordan Henderson is refusing to give up on winning the title.

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"You've got to keep going — Manchester City have a healthy gap at the top and the title is theirs to lose more than anything — but we are Liverpool. We can't just give up," said Henderson. "As a club, we have a lot to play for until the end of the season, in terms of Premier League points and, hopefully, more games in the Champions League.”

He added: “We've got a healthy squad who want to work hard, to win, and it's still pretty tight in terms of finishing in the top four."

Liverpool host Newcastle United on Saturday and play the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Porto three days later before a crucial league match against United on March 10.