Henderson: We know our standards have to get higher

The Reds finished fourth in the Premier League table and also reached the final of the Champions League in Kiev.

Nevertheless, Henderson senses a determination to do even better this time around and believes they can do so without being distracted by talk of what they should be achieving.

The captain wrote in his column in ‘This is Anfield’: “Last season was good, but we want this one to be better. That should always be the focus at a top club, regardless of what you’ve won or haven’t won before.

“We made progression last season – big steps forward – but by no means were any of us satisfied. None of us plan on standing still, let alone going backwards. We all want to achieve more. There is no one externally that can say anything to those of us lucky enough to play for this club that will impact on what we expect of ourselves. No one can set a higher bar than we set ourselves.

“I look inside our dressing-room and I see lads who know that our standards have to get higher each season. I see that the lads know our rivals will be better and stronger and, therefore, we have to be also.

“One of our best qualities as a squad is we have the ability to block out unhelpful opinions and noise. The manager drills into us all the time that when it comes to opinions, his is the only one that matters when it comes to football; that we should only be interested in those who truly care about us – people who genuinely want Liverpool to be a success, such as our supporters. The rest is about healthy expectation and embracing the positive pressure that comes from being at a club of Liverpool’s stature.

“When I play for Liverpool I expect us to win. It’s that simple. And that has been the case regardless of transfer activity or what the outside world perceives as our strengths or weaknesses as a team.”

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