Flanagan: We can feel the momentum
The manner of Liverpool's comprehensive 3-0 dismantling of Manchester United on Sunday maintained the increasing momentum around the club, according to Reds defender Jon Flanagan.
Brendan Rodgers' side were in complete control for almost the entire encounter at Old Trafford, breaking the hosts' spirit through two Steven Gerrard penalties before Luis Suarez added a third.
It was a performance founded on the indomitable team spirit which has been steadily growing since Rodgers took the reins in the summer of 2012 - character embodied by local lad Flanagan.
The 21-year-old thwarted any semblance of attacks mounted by United, retained possession with a calm authority and even forayed forward from his left-back position when opportunity knocked.
"It was brilliant," he later enthused to the Liverpool Echo. "It couldn't have gone any better for us really. We dominated from start to finish. It was very comfortable.
"We came here for the three points. We aren't too bothered with where United are, we're just looking to push on and keep improving.
"Before the sending-off we were much the better side and created a lot of chances. It could have been four or five. We had been working hard all week on the training ground and that preparation showed on the pitch.
"It doesn't get much better for me being a local lad and helping Liverpool win 3-0 at Old Trafford. We have put down a marker today. Momentum is building.
"I'm sure the other clubs up there will be worried after this result but we are just concentrating on ourselves. We all believe we can do it. We just need to keep pushing on.
"All the lads know we haven't achieved anything yet. Our target was top four at the start of the season and we are on target for that. Anything else is a bonus."
Rodgers hailed his captain, Gerrard - who was denied a remarkable hat-trick of penalty conversions when his third attempt struck a post - as a 'great inspiration' to his younger teammates.
Echoing that sentiment, Flanagan added: "Stevie was brilliant. He leads by example and it was just a shame for him he couldn't put away the third penalty for his hat-trick."
Equally pleasing for manager, players and the No.38 was a second successive clean sheet for the Reds, having previously shut out Southampton on the opening day of the month.
The full-back concluded: "The back four have had a bit of criticism this season but we've been doing a lot of work to try to keep things tight.
"That's two clean sheets in a row now and hopefully we can keep many more between now and the end of the season."