Rodgers: It's step by step for us
Liverpool should relish the chance to maintain their climb up the Barclays Premier League table with a positive result over Manchester United this weekend, Brendan Rodgers insists.
The statistics since the sides last locked horns - a 3-0 Old Trafford reversal - provide wholesale reasons for the Reds to have ample optimism in the rematch at Anfield on Sunday.
Rodgers' team responded to that disappointment in December by finding a level of form in the three months that have followed which would have been beyond most Kopites' wildest dreams.
Not a single Premier League defeat has been suffered, eight clean sheets have been secured and the gap to a top-four position in the table has very nearly been eradicated.
"It's step by step," the manager told Liverpoolfc.com after a fifth straight league win was chalked up courtesy of a 1-0 victory against Swansea City on Monday evening.
"It was always going to be a process for us. We were so far behind and to be looking to make up the points was just going to take time.
"But we've put ourselves in a really good position now with nine games to go; the consistency and confidence of the team is really high."
A fortunate, freak occurrence proved pivotal for Liverpool at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea had threatened an end to the travellers' stellar streak with a first-half performance that perhaps should have yielded an opener for Garry Monk's outfit.
But Simon Mignolet and the defence stood firm, meaning maximum points were banked when Jordi Amat's attempt to tackle Jordan Henderson sent the ball careering off the Reds vice-captain and into the net.
Rodgers added: "You saw that even when we didn't play so well in the first half, we have got the focus to come out in the second half and work well. We got a great victory.
"So now we look forward to that game [against United] - the supporters will be right with us and hopefully we can get a good result.
"We need to win our home games, so we go into that game and look to get another victory."