Reina: Four Wins Key To Europe

Pepe Reina is confident a quartet of victories will secure European football for Liverpool next season.

The Reds head into the final straight of the 2010-11 campaign three points adrift of fifth-placed Tottenham having played a game more.

However, the Spaniard is adamant Kenny Dalglish's side can still leapfrog the Londoners and reckons this weekend could be a pivotal moment in the race for a Europa League spot.

Reina told Liverpoolfc.tv: "We have to try to win all of our games and after we will see.

"I believe if we win them all we will be in the fifth position and that is probably the closest and most important target."

He added: "We won't win every game 5-0 like we did against Birmingham last week, but if we play with the same mentality and approach it in the same way, we have more chance of winning than losing.

"We have to take it one game at a time and the most important one is Newcastle because that is next. Tottenham have Chelsea away so there is a possibility we can pass them and take the fifth position this weekend. We have to make sure that we don't drop points at home because we also have Tottenham to come here.

"We also have two difficult away games at Fulham and Villa, so as I said, it's better to go game by game and make sure we don't drop points.

"Our home form has been the key and it is important if you want to be up there. Just look at Man United's results at home. They say everything about why they are up there so we have to be like that if we want to challenge at the top."

Reina concedes that he did not expect Liverpool to challenge for Europe prior to Kenny Dalglish's January arrival.

The Reds have since put together a sequence of results that has seen them emerge as one of the in-form teams in the second half of the season and the stopper is confident the future is bright for everyone involved at Anfield.

"I definitely could not see (Europe) it five or six months ago. But we kept fighting and turned the situation around. Now we need to do more to be even higher.

"It is down to all of us. Kenny Dalglish, Steve Clarke, Sammy Lee and all the staff have done a great job from January onwards.

"When the results are better and the team is winning people are happier and the mood in the dressing room is always better.

"Melwood is a happy place. The dressing room is quite young, loud and funny. When we have to work we are the first to do it and when it is time to joke, we like to joke and have fun too."

He continued: "I think we want to grow and we have to grow. The owners and the people in command of the 'boat' see we have to bring in some players. We have to be right in those transfers and the players that we already have can be important for the new project. I'm very optimistic and I believe we are going to be better.

"You can see that the fans are much more optimistic now. The team is playing better and that is easier for them. We have always felt their support though because they are so loyal. It is always great to have this kind of support."