Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes Liverpool are capable of claiming the Barclays Premier League title this season. "It has been interesting watching Liverpool this season," Mourinho wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. "I think they have everything they need to win the title.

"I still can't understand why they didn't do it in the last four years. Why wouldn't they be able to do it this season? Of course they can.

"The manager is good, the players are good, the crowd is unique, the tradition of the club is big, so why can't they do it? I think they can."

Mourinho warned, however, that the Champions League could again be a distraction for the Anfield club.

"Usually it is when the Champions League starts that they lose their focus on the Premiership," he continued. "It was like this in previous years when they did very well in the Champions League but they lost too many points in the championship.

"They have already lost 10 points at home by drawing the kind of matches they used to win. Against Stoke, Fulham, West Ham, Hull and Everton it has been two points lost. So if you can imagine that they had those 10 points now, they would be top of the league."