Wijnaldum’s take on Liverpool’s uninspiring performances

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Georginio Wijnaldum reckons Liverpool should be encouraged rather than concerned after starting the season with three wins from three below-par displays.

The Reds top the early league table and were recently crowned Super Cup champions, but that perhaps masks one or two early jitters.

Both Norwich City and Chelsea breached our backline with an alarming ease, while Southampton nearly snatched points off us after Adrian’s error.

Wijnaldum, though, is confident the team will improve in the coming weeks and says results are all that matter in this period of regaining rhythm.

“It is encouraging that we are getting results without being in top form,” he said, as quoted by Goal.

“It is important, especially at this time of the season, that you collect as many points as possible because basically, you have to improve during the season and that is what are trying to do and what we want to do.

“But it is also important to collect as many as points until you are at your best. It is really important that we have won the game at Southampton.”

Fans will be fully expecting an upturn in performance, but, perhaps reflecting a change in Liverpool’s mindset that took effect last season, Wijnaldum stressed that it’s sometimes a case of grinding out results.

We can’t expect the team, he warned, to maintain their top level over 90 minutes.

“Basically it doesn’t matter how you win games. You just have to learn and use that experience that you have because we won’t play a game 90 minutes counter pressing or everything goes well during a game.

“You have to use your quality and your experience and still try to win the game. That is more important than playing well over the whole 90 minutes because that is really impossible.”

Liverpool face by far their biggest Premier League test yet on Saturday when Arsenal come to Anfield.

It’s a meeting of the only two sides who can still boast maximum points, but our ambitions are clearly much greater.

We’re beginning our title bid, while for Arsenal the focus is on returning to the top four.

Wijnaldum says Liverpool will have to illustrate that gulf in class this weekend.

“It is difficult to say who will be up there. We must see how the season goes for them but also us,” he said.

“Everyone says we will finish first or second but we must still show it and perform at the end of the season.

“We have to make sure we deal with the situations and give everything we have. They made some good signings but they were always a good team.”

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