Paul Ince believes Liverpool’s leaders need to ‘step up and steady the ship’

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Former Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince believes that it’s time for the club’s leaders to step up and steady the ship, he told Paddy Power.

The Reds will lose their place at the top of the Premier League tonight if Manchester City defeat Everton at Goodison Park.

Liverpool have drawn their last two fixtures against Leicester City and West Ham, opening the door for the reigning champions to pounce.

It has been 29 years since a league title graced the red half of Liverpool and Ince believes pressure of such magnitude is starting to show among some of the club’s players.

Ince told Paddy Power: “Against West Ham, the players looked like they’d got into their own heads as soon as the game began, the expectations are clearly weighing heavy on their shoulders at the minute.

“Every title-winning team goes through a rough patch, and this is Liverpool’s. How they respond to it will determine whether they can go on and win the league. This is the real test, now.”

Despite the current blip, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has built a squad that is capable of making a genuine attempt at landing the elusive Premier League crown.

Leaders such as James Milner, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho have experienced such expectation levels at former clubs, and Ince believes that now is the time for those players to come to the fore.

He continued: “This is where leaders are crucial – Virgil van Dijk and James Milner need to step up. They need to reassure the team that there’s a long way to go yet and steady the ship.

There are plenty of Liverpool players who haven’t won anything yet, so it’s unsurprising that the pressure is mounting on them.”

The Merseysiders face a make-or-break couple of weeks in their campaign with in-form Manchester United, and fierce local rivals Everton both to play away from Anfield.

After years of trying and failing to lay their hands on the title, there is a real sense that this is the season that it has to happen.

Klopp has undoubtedly put Liverpool back on the map when it comes to challenging for major titles.

A true measure of the progress made under the German will be evident if he can finally capture silverware for the Reds.