Allen: We'll continue to pile pressure on

The Wales international admits defeat to Crystal Palace on November 23, which cemented a four-game losing streak for Brendan Rodgers' side, was the lowest point of the current campaign.

Allen was one of the players who sat in the Selhurst Park away dressing room after a wounding 3-1 loss and resolved to eradicate the negative feeling which surrounded the side.

Since that day, Liverpool have lost just once in 13 Barclays Premier League encounters - away to Manchester United on December 14.

Today, they can move to within a point of fifth-placed Southampton with victory at St Mary's Stadium - and Allen intends to help the side continue in their fine vein of form.

"We've got good momentum at a good time, so we're hoping we can use that to our advantage," he told the Liverpool Echo. "We're going to dream, aim high, and throw everything at it to try and achieve those things.

"We've got an unbeaten run going in the league which is putting pressure on the teams above us, and we're going well in the cups.

"There was no doubt [we could return to form]. We knew the level we'd been at previously and that we could get to it again. It was just a matter of how quickly we were going to get there.

"I remember being in the dressing room after the Palace game and I think that was the real low.

"Since then, we've shifted so much ground and taken so many steps forward, and we didn't doubt that we would get back to it.

"I think that is the main thing when you are in those situations. You look at the players you've got, the management, the support of the club.

"I think, with all those things combined, we always knew that we would pull through it. It was just about being patient, about sticking to our guns and working hard - all the classic cliches, if you like.

"Thankfully, I think we are now reaping the rewards of that and we've still got enough time to push ourselves towards achieving something this year."

Allen has made consecutive starts in the absence of Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva, against Palace and Besiktas - and the midfielder intends to prove to fans that he can return to peak form over the coming months.

"Have Liverpool fans seen the best of me? I don't think they have, no," said the 24-year-old. "That's a big disappointment of mine, and something I'm really looking to put right. I want to prove myself.

"I'm confident that if I get the chance to have a full season without injuries then it will give the fans the best view of me.

"It's been a new thing for me, having these issues. I had two full seasons at Swansea where I probably played 80 or 90 games with no problems so it's been frustrating since I've joined Liverpool.

"Hopefully, I'll get my chance to show my best stuff and keep improving. That's the big thing.

"I'm not a youngster any more in football terms, but I've still got plenty of time to develop and get better. I'm looking forward to that challenge."