Lucas: We owe the fans
Lucas Leiva today insisted the Liverpool players owe it to the supporters to send them home happy for Christmas with a win over Fulham on Saturday.
The Brazilian international admitted the team were bitterly disappointed with their performance against Aston Villa last weekend, and said they can't wait to put things right on home turf once again when Martin Jol's side come to town.
"We owe our fans a good performance against Fulham and hopefully the three points," Lucas told Liverpoolfc.com.
"They deserve a good performance and the win because they have seen some difficult moments but they have always been there supporting us.
"It's up to the team now to reward them with a good win.
"It was a very disappointing result against Villa and we weren't expecting that. To be honest we didn't do enough to win the game and we have to be honest with ourselves.
"It's important now to get another win at home on Saturday and try to get back on track again. We now face a lot of games in a short period of time and if we can get a good run going again then we can be in a better position.
"We need to think about the next game and that is the only way we will achieve better things at the end of the season, because if you think too much ahead then maybe you forget to focus on the first game."
Since his return from injury, Liverpool's No.21 has played three games and he admits his sharpness is gradually coming back.
He added: "After a long time out and two difficult injuries I'm just very happy to be back.
"I'm still progressing in terms of fitness, confidence and strength but I will get there again. I just need to be patient and when I get back to 100 per cent fitness and the level I was at before the better it will be for myself and the team.
"In terms of fitness I'm very close to being 100 per cent but it's just a question of time and games to be honest. It's very hard to predict how long it will take to get back to my best but I can see an improvement every week, especially in the training sessions.
"I'm starting to feel sharper and better every day so I try to take that into the games. It's important to play well at this crucial time over Christmas, especially because we have a lot of games."
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The midfielder was also keen to pay tribute to the Liverpool supporters who he insists have played a massive part in him keeping his spirits up while he was on the treatment table.
He said: "They have been amazing. They gave me a real boost and I wanted to get back and play again as quickly as possible. When you have the supporters behind you it makes it easier for you.
"I will always thank them because they have been very good right from my first injury."