he Reds will be top on December 25 for the first time since 2008 – when they became the last side not to win the title from that position.
Since then the 19-time champions have been in gradual decline, and even at this stage of last season Liverpool had not been in the top half of the table at any time.
The current campaign has seen them drop out of the top six for only two days and they have spent four separate spells at the top of the table and for that reason Rodgers can understand why supporters are in jubilant mood.
It is not a feeling which is felt within their Melwood training base, however.
‘You don’t get the rewards at Christmas. It is a nostalgic time and people always want to know where the team is at around Christmas Day,’ he said.
‘We want to be there but we want to be there at the end of the season and for that there is a lot of hard work ahead.
‘It is brilliant for supporters, I am not going to deny them a dream – it is nice for us all to dream.
‘It has been a hard period in this club for four or five years and this (being top) was probably a distant thought for them.
‘They have to enjoy it but for me as a manager my concentration has always been and always will be on the next game.
‘That has served us well and seen us grow so I won’t change that. Strategically we have to keep pushing the club forward.
‘We can’t be complacent and we won’t be because we haven’t done anything yet.
‘We are top at Christmas, which is great, but we need to continue that run in the second half of the season.’
Boxing Day’s game at Manchester City will mark the halfway point of the campaign and, irrespective of the result at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool will still be considered title challengers.
It is not a role many of the players will be familiar with but Rodgers does not believe that makes a difference yet.
‘Of course there are teams who will have much more experience than ourselves at winning titles but you only get that experience by doing it and focusing on the job,’ added the Reds boss.
‘If we can continue with that over the course of the next 10 games we will assess it for the final run in.
‘You need to get that experience from somewhere and you only do that by going on and winning games.
‘Since January we have shown we can consistently perform and win games on a regular basis and we have shown we are a very attack-minded team – we have the most goals of a Premier League team in this calendar year.’
This will be a testing time for Liverpool as injuries are starting to bite and it may be a while before he has a full-strength squad to choose from.
‘Our squad is very thin at the moment. We have 17 players at the moment, which is unfortunate at this very busy period,’ added Rodgers.
‘None of the guys who have been out have returned and there is still the timeline which was set for them.
‘Steven (Gerrard) is working really well on the field and may be the one who is back a little bit sooner as he has been getting round the clock treatment (for a hamstring strain).
‘Jose Enrique’s (knee) operation was four weeks last Thursday so he has a bit of time and Daniel Sturridge is progressing well but it is still going to be into January before he will be back (from an ankle sprain).’
Defender Glen Johnson insists Liverpool have a first-choice XI which is a match for any of their bigger-spending rivals.
We take each game as it comes but if we can go to White Hart Lane and perform like we did there (winning 5-0) is no reason why we can’t win these games,’ he said.
‘In terms of the starting XI I think we can compete. It is just getting it right on the day and everyone performing to the best we can.
‘If we can do that we can cause anyone problems, it doesn’t matter how much money they spend.’
If Liverpool have a weakness it is when they have to look outside their primary first-choice side for replacements.
Young right-back Jon Flanagan is currently playing on the left of the defence because of injury to Jose Enrique and the unsuitability of loan signing Aly Cissokho while they are light in central midfield.
Johnson accepts they do not have the numbers other teams may have but believes there is a greater team spirit in their smaller unit.
‘We all know we need much more than our starting XI, I think we have some great players around the squad that know that,’ he added.
‘With some clubs anyone who is not starting may get the hump, not train well and throw their toys out a bit.
‘Whereas we have got good lads and good professionals around who people realise they have to wait their turn.
‘But we have been using a few different formations so it gives a few people an opportunity to play and because everyone knows they are on the verge of playing it keeps the squad tighter together rather than having the same XI every single week.’
Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂
