Javi: Dressing room unity was decisive
Unity in testing times has been a key theme of Liverpool's season and will continue to be crucial in the final stages, believes Javier Manquillo.
The collective spirit within the dressing room was forged and fostered as the team sought a method of steering the campaign in the right direction.
Four successive defeats in November demanded a response from the Reds and, with a new 3-4-3 formation, Brendan Rodgers' side turned it around.
Underpinning everything was the togetherness in the camp, nobody shirking responsibility, those out of the XI preparing as fiercely as the players in it.
"The dressing room has always had a unity and we have always been confident in ourselves," Manquillo tells Liverpoolfc.com at a buoyant Melwood.
"Little by little we've started to get to know more about each teammate, and that helped us raise our game. I believe that will play an important factor for the remainder of the season.
"We're in great form and have been doing just fine on the pitch recently. I hope we can continue doing well towards the end of the season."
A knock-on effect of the switch in system has been a restriction on Manquillo's playing time - just two starts, both in the FA Cup, during 2015.
In keeping with his above assessment of the squad approach, however, the full-back is simply redoubling his efforts in hope of receiving a chance.
"The manager has said we have to work hard, basically," he continues. "You can see the team is in great form and one has to do his best to get a chance in the starting XI.
"We've been playing very well in that system. I understand I have to adapt to it. I have been training hard and I need to keep doing that to be able to get more game time."
Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge were the goalscorers as Liverpool extended their unbeaten streak in the Barclays Premier League to 12 games on Wednesday.
Reflecting on the pair's contributions, Manquillo adds: "Daniel is a great player and his return has surely given us a boost and will help us massively.
"Henderson has shown he's a great player since I arrived at Liverpool. He's been doing even better now because he's been scoring goals more often."