Marsh: Lambert deserved that
Mike Marsh is hoping the famous Anfield atmosphere can inspire Liverpool to victory over Aston Villa this weekend as the Kop prepares to welcome the likes of Alberto Moreno and Mario Balotelli for the first time.
After both making their Reds bow away from home, the duo will be hoping to make an instant impression on home turf.
As the Reds prepare for Saturday's first game back after the international break, Marsh sat down with Liverpoolfc.com tp speak about how well Rickie Lambert is settling into the squad and why he believes Villa could be a force to be reckoned with this term.
Mike, how have the coaching staff been preparing for the weekend's game with so many players away on international duty?
It's been good because it's given us the opportunity to bring some of the younger players down to Melwood from the Academy. We only had a small training group but we had six or seven of the young lads come down to train with us.
What have you made of the performances of those players on international duty?
I think they have been excellent. Results wise it has been really good. England got a positive result, so did Wales and Croatia, so across the board it has been really good.
It was nice to see Rickie Lambert come on for England and provide an assist. How is he settling in at Liverpool?
He's settling in really well. I was delighted for him to get on and then set up a goal and put the game to bed. He's been training really hard and he deserved that.
There have been only three games played but he has made an impression coming off the bench. How important a player can he be for Liverpool this season?
He's making a good impact. He's come off the bench and had a positive impact every time he has come on. He has created chances for the others and has done really well.
How would you assess the start to the season? Six points from three games, is that a reasonable return given the fixtures?
I think so, yes. It has been a difficult start. Southampton at home is always a tough game with a lot of new players on both sides, we weren't at our best at Manchester City but we bounced back and won convincingly at Tottenham.
Aston Villa up next on Saturday. They are currently unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League - what have you made to their start to the season?
They have made a good start. They have beaten Stoke City and Hull City and they are always a difficult opponent for us with the way that they set up. They like to play on the counter-attack and I think they are a better side away from home, and it will be another difficult game at the weekend.
How do you think the arrival of Roy Keane as first-team coach has had an impact?
I'm sure he has had a positive impact at the club. He's got plenty of experience as a player and manager and results have picked up.
They have just added Tom Cleverley on loan from Manchester United and they have some talented players don't they?
They have added a couple of players during the summer to improve the squad. Personally I think they have been in a false league position for the past couple of years. They have a really young side who are gaining experience and I think they'll improve this year and finish a lot higher than they have done the last couple of years.
The last victory for Liverpool at Anfield against Aston Villa came in 2010 - what needs to be done to get all three points at the weekend?
We just need to carry on from the way we played against Tottenham. We know it will be a really tough game and we will have to be patient and work hard.
As always the home fans are so important to you and there will be a real excitement in the air on Saturday, potentially with a few Anfield debuts...
I'm sure we will see some new faces but it depends on the injury situation. I think one or two players who the fans haven't seen before at Anfield could feature.