Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez knows his side have to find an immediate cure for their travel sickness if dreams of Champions League qualification are to be realised.
The Reds have the worst away record of any of the top nine clubs in the Barclays Premier League, having not won on an opponent’s ground in six matches and taken just 14 points from 16 games on the road.
Their previous worst league run came between August and November in 2006 when they failed to win in seven.
But the problem extends further than that and since beating Everton at Goodison Park at the end of November, taking into account all competitions, Liverpool have won just twice in 13 away fixtures - and that includes victory over Europa League minnows Unirea Urziceni in Romania.
So a trip to Birmingham on Sunday does not exactly promise an end to their troubles.
Alex McLeish’s side are unbeaten in their last 12 games at St Andrew’s, their longest unbeaten run in the top-flight since a 14-match streak from November 1973 to April 1974.
“We know we have to improve away from home and we have a chance on Sunday so we will try to do our best and get three points,” said Benitez.
“There are two or three things we can improve but at the end of the day it is not easy now.
“The team is doing well and we have more confidence and if the key players keep performing the rest of the players will be there and we will be better.
“It will be another tough game. The Premier League is always difficult so we have to move on and bring players back quickly and be ready.
“Birmingham have done a very good job and are in a good position.”
A Sunday kick-off means all of Liverpool’s rivals will have played by the time they take to the pitch.
“Our idea is to get three points - it doesn’t matter what the other teams do,” said Benitez.
“There are still a lot of points to play for and we have to do our job and not worry about the other teams.”
Benitez does not think he will have much work to do to lift his squad after their defeat to Benfica, when they performed admirably in the face of adversity.
But he is concerned that playing an hour with 10 men after Ryan Babel’s sending-off will have taken its toll on one or two.
Unfortunately he has few options to change things around, with Alberto Aquilani injured again and Albert Riera frozen out for his verbal attack on his manager and the club.
Yossi Benayoun, who has played just 34 minutes in the last five matches, is one alternative while Maxi Rodriguez, ineligible in Europe, is certain to return having played so well in last weekend’s 3-0 demolition of Sunderland.
“The players showed character again (against Benfica) and that is positive and hopefully we can show this character again on Sunday,” said the Liverpool boss.
“They will be tired but we have to work with them ahead of Birmingham.
“We have been working hard the whole season with the fitness coach so hopefully the players will be okay.
“Sometimes you have to analyse and bring in fresh legs but I think we will have enough energy.”
Aquilani’s ankle injury, sustained in training just hours before the squad was due to fly out to Portugal on Wednesday, means he is unlikely to be risked tomorrow.
He joins defenders Martin Skrtel (foot), Fabio Aurelio (thigh) and Martin Kelly (knee) on the sidelines.
The Reds have the worst away record of any of the top nine clubs in the Barclays Premier League, having not won on an opponent’s ground in six matches and taken just 14 points from 16 games on the road.
Their previous worst league run came between August and November in 2006 when they failed to win in seven.
But the problem extends further than that and since beating Everton at Goodison Park at the end of November, taking into account all competitions, Liverpool have won just twice in 13 away fixtures - and that includes victory over Europa League minnows Unirea Urziceni in Romania.
So a trip to Birmingham on Sunday does not exactly promise an end to their troubles.
Alex McLeish’s side are unbeaten in their last 12 games at St Andrew’s, their longest unbeaten run in the top-flight since a 14-match streak from November 1973 to April 1974.
“We know we have to improve away from home and we have a chance on Sunday so we will try to do our best and get three points,” said Benitez.
“There are two or three things we can improve but at the end of the day it is not easy now.
“The team is doing well and we have more confidence and if the key players keep performing the rest of the players will be there and we will be better.
“It will be another tough game. The Premier League is always difficult so we have to move on and bring players back quickly and be ready.
“Birmingham have done a very good job and are in a good position.”
A Sunday kick-off means all of Liverpool’s rivals will have played by the time they take to the pitch.
“Our idea is to get three points - it doesn’t matter what the other teams do,” said Benitez.
“There are still a lot of points to play for and we have to do our job and not worry about the other teams.”
Benitez does not think he will have much work to do to lift his squad after their defeat to Benfica, when they performed admirably in the face of adversity.
But he is concerned that playing an hour with 10 men after Ryan Babel’s sending-off will have taken its toll on one or two.
Unfortunately he has few options to change things around, with Alberto Aquilani injured again and Albert Riera frozen out for his verbal attack on his manager and the club.
Yossi Benayoun, who has played just 34 minutes in the last five matches, is one alternative while Maxi Rodriguez, ineligible in Europe, is certain to return having played so well in last weekend’s 3-0 demolition of Sunderland.
“The players showed character again (against Benfica) and that is positive and hopefully we can show this character again on Sunday,” said the Liverpool boss.
“They will be tired but we have to work with them ahead of Birmingham.
“We have been working hard the whole season with the fitness coach so hopefully the players will be okay.
“Sometimes you have to analyse and bring in fresh legs but I think we will have enough energy.”
Aquilani’s ankle injury, sustained in training just hours before the squad was due to fly out to Portugal on Wednesday, means he is unlikely to be risked tomorrow.
He joins defenders Martin Skrtel (foot), Fabio Aurelio (thigh) and Martin Kelly (knee) on the sidelines.
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