Lucas: Fear factor will be crucial

The Reds' took 24 points from a possible 57 in the 19 league matches at home in 2012, with six games won and seven defeats suffered.

Lucas acknowledges such a statistic is a source of disappointment and is targeting a much improved L4 record this year - starting with Sunderland's visit to Anfield tonight.

"This year we have to be stronger at home," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"If we want to climb the table and have a successful season then we have to be getting a lot more points at Anfield.

"We need to make Anfield a much tougher place for teams to come so that opponents who go there fear playing against us.

"That's the way it used to be and we need to get back to that.

"Let's start the year with a good win against Sunderland and then ensure we build on that.

"We have to make the most of our home matches. If we do that then 2013 will be a better year for the club."

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On a personal level, Lucas is hoping for more fortune in 2013.

The Brazil midfielder was forced to sit out large parts of last year due to injuries, but returned to action in early December against Southampton.

With six appearances now under his belt since his comeback, Lucas is feeling in prime condition.

"2012 was a really difficult year for me having spent so much time out injured," he said. "In five years at Liverpool I didn't really have any problems at all. Then in the past year I had two serious injuries. But that's in the past and the positive thing for me is that I finished 2012 playing matches.

"I feel fit and strong and now I want to start 2013 in a good way by being involved and helping the team. I hope I can stay fit this year and play a lot of games.

"I'm really looking forward to it. With no more injuries, I'm hoping this will be a perfect year for me."

Collectively, Lucas believes Liverpool need to find a greater level of consistency this year.

December saw the Reds beat Southampton, West Ham, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers in the Barclays Premier League, but suffer 3-1 defeats to both Aston Villa and Stoke City.

Nonetheless, Lucas is convinced Brendan Rodgers' side have the quality to climb the table over the coming weeks.

"It's hard to explain why we have performed so much better in some games than others," he said.

"But we have to take the positives out of the recent run of matches. We have proved that we can perform and that we're able to win games.

"It's just a question of keeping our focus and approaching every game in that way.

"If we do that in the second half of the season then we will be in a better position. We have a lot of good players here. The reason so many players have committed themselves to the club is because they really believe we are improving and can take the club back to where it belongs."

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Such quality was there for all to see as Liverpool comprehensively swept QPR aside 3-0 at Loftus Road on Sunday.

The Reds capitalised on a dominant start to the contest by netting three times before the half-hour mark - and Lucas believes that needs to be the benchmark.

"From the first minute we were better than them," he said.

"QPR may be low on confidence but we didn't allow them to settle. We controlled the game from the start and we took our chances.

"That's the way we have to start every game. We need to try to keep playing the same way against Sunderland. It will be a hard game as they beat Man City but we want to start a new year with three points."

Liverpool head into the New Year 10 points off fourth-place Chelsea; however, while a top-four tilt remains a possibility, Lucas feels the Reds cannot afford to look beyond the next game.

"I don't think we should be talking about the top four at the moment," he said.

"We're still a lot of points behind and there are a lot of teams between us and the top four.

"Let's find a consistency first and then see what happens. We can't afford to look any further ahead than playing Sunderland."