Liverpool players are looking and sounding visibly more confident after stringing together successive wins, following a terrible run of form and fortune in winter.
The results through January and February have left Jurgen Klopp‘s side playing catch-up in the race for the top four, but a midweek Champions League win raised spirits and the win at Wolves on Monday night brought something even better.
Namely, a reminder to the squad that they have the quality to attack, but also the resolve to dig in and defend when needed – to win dirty points, to use the manager’s turn of phrase.
For Andy Robertson, the defensive work of the team as a whole was the important factor on the night and the left-back reserved particular praise for the centre-backs.
Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak have been thrust together in adversity, but put in another good showing individually and as a pair to set the platform for the win, noted Robbo to the club website.
“In a game like this when, like I said, you win ugly and they start throwing bodies forward for headers and it’s scrappy, some of their blocks and the way they put their head in it was fantastic,” he said.
“It’s a wee bit different, Ozan has had to come in and done really well.
“Big Nat has been around for a long time and he’s a wee bit older but now he’s getting his chance and you can tell that. He’s willing to take that, he’s still learning and he’s becoming commanding at the back.”
A big three points for the Reds – but Robertson doesn’t want anybody getting ahead of themselves.
Liverpool cannot claim to be ‘back’ while lying in sixth in the table, so it’s all about finding and maintaining consistency.
“Look, it’s only the start. We can’t get carried away and it’s two clean sheets, we are in the quarter-final of the Champions League and we’ve pushed up the league a wee bit.
We still need to keep pushing and we need a really strong finish to this season.
Hopefully we finish where we want to be. It’s going to be tough but we never give up and we keep fighting.”
After the game the players took to social media to post their thoughts, a notable change from recent weekends.
Several Reds wished ‘keeper Rui Patricio a quick recovery, with former Wolves man Diogo Jota leading the way in that regard.
Special game ??
Recupera rápido @rpatricio1_ ? pic.twitter.com/mfutrF2g44— Diogo Jota (@DiogoJota18) March 16, 2021
Clean sheet and an away win against a talented team! Thoughts are with Rui. Wishing you a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/aV60sdN5eO
— Andy Robertson (@andrewrobertso5) March 15, 2021
Big win. Hope Rui Patricio is ok. ?? pic.twitter.com/lSUerDZjqh
— Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) March 15, 2021
Big 3 points on the road. Sending best wishes to Rui Patricio for a speedy recovery ? #YNWA #loveitjots pic.twitter.com/3SZD23UUbm
— James Milner (@JamesMilner) March 15, 2021
Notably, Liverpool players also saw the clean sheet as a key positive to take from the game – only the second we’ve managed in the last 11 Premier League matches.
Back-to-back away wins, back-to-back clean sheets… Sounds perfect ?? @LFC #WOLLIV
And I wish a speedy recovery to @rpatricio1_ ?? pic.twitter.com/P1lr40MjH2
— Ozan KABAK (@ozankabak4) March 15, 2021
Clean sheet and an away win against a talented team! Thoughts are with Rui. Wishing you a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/aV60sdN5eO
— Andy Robertson (@andrewrobertso5) March 15, 2021
Now it’s on to the international break and a three-week stretch until the next game for the Reds, when the absolute focus must be on extending the winning run and giving ourselves a fighting chance of clawing back a top-four finish.
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