The 45-year-old, himself a Premier League winner, believes the growing expectancy around Anfield could cause the Reds to stutter and isn’t convinced they can deal with the pressure

Tottenham coach Tim Sherwood has questioned Liverpool’s ability to hold their nerve in this season’s Premier League title race.

Ahead of Sunday’s clash with Spurs at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers’ side sit second in the standings, just a point behind leaders Chelsea and two ahead of Manchester City, who have two games in hand on the two sides above them.

The Reds thrashed Tottenham 5-0 earlier in the season – a game that resulted in Sherwood replacing Andre Villas-Boas at the helm of the north Londoners – but while the former England international has the utmost respect for the Merseysiders, he says that he saw signs of edginess in their 2-1 victory over Sunderland in midweek.

“The pressure’s on Liverpool,” the 45-year-old, who won a title with Blackburn in 1995, told reporters on Friday.

“You sensed it a little bit the other night [Wednesday], when Sunderland got back into the game.

“After winning so many titles in their time they’re very close, one point off the top. They’re absolutely flying, they’ve got a strike partnership [Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge] who are the best the Premier League has seen for a very long time, and they’ve given themselves a real chance.

“Now they have to believe that they’ve got something there that might fall through their grasp and might slip away.

“And, believe me, that’s a really bad feeling to have, because perhaps you don’t play with the freedom that you normally played with earlier on in the season.

“It all depends on how they can hold their nerve, how many players they’ve got within their squad who have done it previously.

“Obviously Manchester City and Chelsea would have to be favourites because of the players they’ve got who have actually crossed that line and done it previously.

“But Liverpool have got from seventh last year and now they must be believing, with eight or nine games left, that they can actually win this Premier League title.

“I’d still tip Man City. They have got that firepower, as well as Liverpool have. It just boils down to whether Liverpool can cope in the run-in, because it is nothing like anything else.

“Whatever has gone before, now that you guys [in the media] have been talking about them in terms of winning the title, it makes a hell of a lot of difference when you’re warming up and you’re going out there and the expectancy is on you.

“I know that myself from doing it. At one stage we were well clear with a game in hand when we won the title [at Blackburn]. We managed to scrape through at the last. We were shot and we managed to get over the line.

“People started talking about us as title winners and that is coming from a side who finished fourth and then second and then first – not from seventh to first. It will be very interesting to see how they cope with it.”

Sherwood confirmed that Emmanuel Adebayor is a doubt for the match due to a cut on his heel, while Vlad Chiriches will continue his recovery from injury by turning out for the Under-21s on Friday afternoon.

The Anfield outfit have won their last seven games on the bounce, putting them in contention for the title

Brendan Rodgers has refuted suggestions from Tottenham counterpart Tim Sherwood that Liverpool are feeling the pressure in the title race.

Liverpool head into Sunday’s game on the back of Wednesday’s 2-1 success over Sunderland, a result that left Rodgers’ side just one point behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

The Merseyside club have won their last seven league games and are unbeaten in the Premier League in 2014, but that run has not prevented Sherwood from questioning Liverpool’s ability to keep pace with Chelsea and fellow title rivals Manchester City.

However, Rodgers has been quick to dismiss Sherwood’s comments, insisting that his players are calm ahead of the final run-in.

“We’re very relaxed,” Rodgers told reporters. “We’re focused. There was no expectation on us being where we are, so there’s certainly no pressure.”

Rodgers also hit back at Sherwood, indicating that Tottenham – who sit seven points adrift of the top four in sixth – have performed below expectations this season.

“I suppose the likes of Tottenham are a team who were maybe looking to be challenging for the league this season. You spend £100m-odd – it’s a group that’s set up to challenge,” he added.

“There’s certainly no pressure on ourselves, and I think we’ve shown that over the course of the season. We’re playing with no fear.

“We’re very hungry to succeed and that can give you a real advantage. We’ve proved that already this season. Experience isn’t everything.

“We’re looking to make sustainable success. That’s our objective. We’re looking to build something here.”

Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan will also be invited by the Merseyside club to hold talks on improved contracts

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey

Liverpool are set to reward five star players with new contract offers this summer.

Daniel Sturridge is among the first-team quintet who will be invited to hold talks on improved deals at the end of the season.

Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan will also sit down with club chiefs to discuss fresh agreements.

As a general rule, Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s America-based owners, do not hold contract talks mid-season although they made an exception in the case of Luis Suarez before Christmas, when the club’s prize asset swiftly committed to a new four-and-a-half-year contract amid concern he would be targeted in the January window.

Brendan Rodgers, whose own contract expires in 2015, has said he will discuss fresh terms with the club at the end of the season and the Anfield manager is keen for his key young players to also be tied down to lengthy agreements.

Sturridge only joined in January 2013 but the February Premier League Player of the Month has been a resounding success on Merseyside, scoring 23 goals in 27 matches this season and an incredible 34 times in 43 games since his €14 million switch from Chelsea.

Liverpool fear the 24-year-old will be targeted by Europe’s elite clubs, particularly if he shines at the World Cup, and are expected to offer him a substantial rise on his current €70,000-a-week deal and extend it beyond 2018.

Like Sturridge, Coutinho, 21, joined on a five-and-a-half-year deal 13 months ago but the Brazilian’s wage is believed to be €47,000-a-week and he is also in line for an improved salary.

Henderson has started all 31 of Liverpool’s league matches this season and his improvement will be reflected in an offer to keep him at Anfield beyond his current agreement, which expires in 2016.

Johnson, 29, will have only a year remaining on his deal by the summer and Rodgers has spoken of his desire to keep the England right-back.

Flanagan, 21, a revelation at left-back in recent months, will also be offered a deal to keep him at Anfield beyond 2015, when his current agreement expires.

“Jon will be given a new contract. Come the summer he’s got another year so he will definitely be given a new deal, no question,” said Rodgers in the wake of Liverpool’s recent 3-0 win at Manchester United.

“He has been outstanding. He reminded me of Steve Nicol against Manchester United – a right-footed player on the left side, steady, aggressive, no fear; he’s been a revelation, and particularly in the big games. It’s great when you see a young player develop like that. You can see the confidence he has now. He has made himself an important member of the squad.”