HENDERSON: KEEP IT UP!
SUNDERLAND-BORN CAPTAIN URGES LIVERPOOL TO BUILD ON SLICK SPURS PERFORMANCE
Wearsider Jordan Henderson is urging Liverpool to maintain the form shown in last weekend’s precious Premier League win over Tottenham.
The Reds secured their first league win of 2017 after a dismal run which began with a 2-2 draw at Sunderland on January 2.
Anfield skipper Henderson said: “Putting in that performance against Tottenham doesn’t make up for it, but it is a start and a step in the right direction.
“Now we have to build on that and keep going.
“It was definitely positive. The most pleasing thing was in the second half we were solid, focused, took the sting out of the game and did a lot of good things without the ball. Overall, I felt we defended well as a team and attacked well as a team.
“We have fantastic quality in the team, great mentality and great character, but it is no good me just saying that.
“It is up to us to show that from now until the end of the season and keep putting in performances like that.”
The 26-year-old believes that hard work in training, following the dismal 2-0 defeat at Hull at the start of the month, turned things around for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
“I wouldn’t question the attitude of the players, it is very good,” added the Sunderland-born former Black Cats star. “But there were one or two things we needed to work on which we did last week in training to help us going forward.
“The first half especially at Hull was disappointing. You have a lot of possession in those games and sometimes you get caught on the counter-attack and we maybe switch off a little bit.
“But against Spurs we were very solid from start to finish. We need to make sure we’re like that every week.
“I felt as though we’ve always had belief but performances over recent weeks haven’t been up to the standard we’ve set ourselves and we’ve been punished.
“Everyone showed great character against Tottenham and now we have to make sure we are consistent with it. To win like we did was very pleasing and it will give everyone a big lift.”
With Liverpool out of the FA Cup, they have a blank weekend ahead of a return to action at Leicester on Monday, February 27.
Klopp will take his squad to Spain for warm-weather training, and Henderson added on lfc.com: “We have to make the most of that time and hopefully we will benefit from that and then we can kick on from the next game until the end of the season.”
Manchester City are waiting to learn how long Brazil star Gabriel Jesus will be out for after he fractured a metatarsal in his right foot in Monday’s win at Bournemouth.