Saturday, March 16, 2013

Rodgers: Liverpool Not Out Of Top-Four Race

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes any slip-ups from the Reds’ rivals could allow them to finish inside the top-four this season.

The Northern Irishman is confident that his side can make the most of their astounding recent form to up the pressure on their opponents in pursuit of the Champions League places.

Liverpool currently hold the sixth spot in the table. An epic 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur last week brought them within two and seven points from Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, having played a game more than their London rivals.

On Saturday, the Merseyside club will visit strugglers Southampton, eyeing a fifth consecutive league win – something that they have not achieved in four previous seasons.

Booming with confidence and playing arguably the best football in the Premier League at the moment, Rodgers feels his side can still finish ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea for the fourth place.

However, the 40-year-old manager admitted that the Reds need results elsewhere to go their way to lift their chances, and feels that it was that part of the campaign where teams cannot afford to slip-up.

He told reporters: "The teams above will know they can’t be making any slip-ups, not only because of us but for themselves.

"This is the stage of the season when you want to win games, and you have to win them. Our recent run of form shows without doubt we’re a team which is improving and developing.

“The result against Tottenham showed the further enhancement of that, and we have to maintain that form to keep moving forward."

Liverpool would have had a strong case of finishing inside the top-four had it not been for their shaky start which saw them register their first league win in the sixth match of the term. It was the club’s worst start in more than 100 years.

However, Rodgers was pleased to see them overcome a stuttering start and thinks that they have now acquainted themselves to his playing philosophy.

He added: “People know now we’re a different team compared to the start of the season, for sure.

“There is a different mentality now, but there is no point in us getting carried away and looking too far ahead. We can only concentrate on ourselves and get as many victories as we can.

“I’ve seen the change since the turn of the year when we got another two players with the profile that helps this way of working. Anyone watching the team regularly will see the amount of difference but as I said there is still a lot of work to do."

Liverpool finished eighth last season under former manager Kenny Dalglish.

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