Liverpool’s solid start to the season has generated a buzz in the red half of Merseyside, and the youthfulness of the squad adds a dash of romance to it.
The team that started in the 4-2 win over Crystal Palace last Saturday boasted of an average age of 24.82 years.
Adam Lallana, 28, was the oldest starter that day, while his midfielder colleague Emre Can, 22, was the youngest.
However, critics have pointed out that Juergen Klopp’s boys may not have the experience to handle a title challenge.
Ian Rush, though, was quick to play it down.
Speaking to The New Paper at the LFC World presented by Standard Chartered Bank at Suntec City yesterday, Liverpool’s club-record goalscorer with 346 goals in 660 appearances said: “The only way you get experience is by playing.
“It’s a young squad and we will be better for it next year. But we still have got some experienced ones.
“It comes down to leadership now and you have the captains – (Jordan) Henderson and (James) Milner. And (Adam) Lallana is coming of age now.
“You take that experience on and, hopefully, this will be a big experience for the Liverpool players, and they will be better off next season for that.
“While you are young, you are excited, you go out there and entertain the crowd, that’s what Liverpool are doing.”
The Reds have lost just once in the Premier League this term, and are third in the table with 23 points after 10 games, behind Manchester City and Arsenal on goal difference.
But, while they have scored the joint most number of goals (24, same as Man City), only Bournemouth from the top half of the table have conceded more goals (14 to Liverpool’s 13) .
Recently, their former manager Graeme Souness voiced out his fear that Liverpool may be too vulnerable defensively to win the league.
But Rush, 55, who started the 1984 European Cup final with Souness and beat Roma on penalties, said: “The defence is (vulnerable). But they are scoring more goals. The manager knows about the situation, but we are focusing more on the offensive rather than the defensive.
“You got to be positive and gradually try to get the defensive side of it in the next few games.
Rush, however, would not be drawn into whether the Reds can win the title for the first time since 1990. At least not yet.
He said: “At the start of the season, the realistic target was top four.
“Come the Christmas period, if the situation is still the same, you can realistically think about it (winning the title).
“But, at the moment, I would still say a top-four finish and, if they can win a trophy along the way, it can be considered a successful season.”
