It is not so much a question to Gini Wijnaldum as an ultimatum. One issued to his manager and Liverpool team mates since the start of the season.

“You have to win a trophy now, don’t you?”

The Dutch midfielder replies with a polite hint of incredulity.

“You think we do not know it, or think it?” he says.

“No-one has to tell us what we have to do. We play for Liverpool. It is always our intention to win. All the players here want to compete at the top and win. The manager does not have to say to us, ‘we want to win a trophy’. We do not play for Liverpool not to win. With respect, we are not playing for a team that is fighting relegation thinking it is impossible. We know what we can do.

“We were so close already. We have done everything to win something but the fact is it is not so easy. There are a lot of good teams who also want to win the same trophies.”

It is a matter of tone – one to which Saturday’s opponents Tottenham Hotspur can relate. There is much to admire about Liverpool and Spurs’ efforts to satisfy lofty ambitions, so curmudgeonly hints at unspecified dire consequences if trophy stipulations are not met feel out of place.