Liverpool title bid: Simon Mignolet hails team spirit with club six matches from Premier League title

A first league title in 14 years is in the Reds' own hands

Simon Mignolet has applauded the honesty his Liverpool team-mates have shown (GETTY IMAGES)

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet believes there is an honesty and integrity within the Liverpool dressing room which makes them stronger as a unit.

It has been noticeable over recent weeks that when the Reds score a goal - which has been quite often during a 13-match unbeaten league run of which they have won 11 - the whole team celebrates as one.

In fact Mignolet, by virtue of his position, is the only one who does not join the group huddle.

The Belgium international said the collective spirit was allowing the team to thrive but that did not necessarily mean there were not home truths told if required.

"Everyone works for each other, everyone is demanding of each other which is always important if you want to win games," he said.

"It is not about being 'nicey nicey' with each other, it is about making sure we do the things right individually and as a group.

"We have some characters in the dressing room who are always there to make sure we train in a perfect manner.

"It is not only the players who are playing but also those on the bench and the guys who are not playing.

"They are as happy as the guys on the pitch and sometimes that is more important than any single individual who scores the goals."

Manager Brendan Rodgers first used the term "collective" to describe his squad very early on during his first season in charge.

It applies not only to the group mentality but also the way the Northern Irishman sets up the side to play.

The Reds' high-tempo pressing game requires a joined-up approach with players working together as a unit and it appears to be working as no-one this year has been able to find a way to combat it.

"We are very organised and we work very well as a unit," added Mignolet.

"Everyone works for each other and when we lose the ball we try to press as quickly as we can to get the ball back.

"Everyone pushes each other forward and that is what happens in training every single day.

"We don't really think what the opponents have to do, we think about what we have to do and think about our jobs. That is far more important for us as a team.

"Against Spurs (Sunday's 4-0 win) the early goal helped a lot and it is then about keeping the ball and making sure they can't get back into the game.

"Against Sunderland (the 2-1 win last Wednesday) we conceded a goal and then it got nervy in the last 15 minutes but we saw the game through and sometimes that is even more important than games when it goes easy.

"You can take positives and negatives from every game so we will look back at Tottenham and see what we can learn from it and what we can do better.

"We will take it on board and into the next game, which is West Ham.

"We look at every game as a single thing."

Liverpool seized the advantage given to them by rivals Chelsea, who lost at Crystal Palace, and Manchester City, held at Arsenal, but Mignolet insists even though they play on Sunday again this week they will not be worrying too much about what happens elsewhere.

"We knew what happened on Saturday with the results coming in but in all fairness it doesn't make any difference," he said.

"You just win your own game and look at your own performance. It is not about the other teams around us, it is more about what we have to do than looking over our shoulder.

"The next game is West Ham and straight after the Tottenham win we were speaking about that game next Sunday.

"There is no point in looking beyond that. We did our jobs against Tottenham and from Monday onwards there is only one thing in our minds and that is to prepare ourselves for the game against West Ham."

PA