Boss wants return of Reds' creativity
High on Brendan Rodgers' current agenda is reinstating the creative vibrancy that has proved so productive for Liverpool but by his admission has been lacking in the past four games.
After overwhelming champions Manchester City at Anfield on the opening day of March, the Reds then professionally saw off Burnley with fine goals from Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge.
But Blackburn Rovers stemmed their flow in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a goalless draw and only a fortuitous effort from Henderson was the difference to earn three points at Swansea City.
Successive defeats by Manchester United and Arsenal have followed, with Rodgers pointing to his side's slow start and lack of intensity during the early stages as causes for both reversals.
The manager is keen for that spark to return therefore, as Liverpool prepare for a second meeting with Blackburn and the chance to secure a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup last four.
"In the last four games that we've played, we haven't created as much, and that's more on ourselves," the Northern Irishman explained at his pre-match press conference.
"Of course you give opponents credit, but every team will go into a game to defend well and work hard against you. Probably the Blackburn game when we drew 0-0 and the games following that, we haven't created as much.
"That's something that we want to reinforce - the creativity for chances and hopefully taking those chances. It's a difficult system to play against, but it's one of a number of systems we've played here and played very well.
"It's my job to always look to find the solutions, that's what I've tried to do in the games when we didn't look like scoring, finding a way to win."
A 4-1 loss at Arsenal on Saturday landed a damaging blow for Liverpool's Champions League qualification ambitions, prompting Rodgers to admit that closing the gap is now unrealistic this season.
But the boss will concede no quarter in the club's objectives to challenge their rivals as his squad of young players and recent acquisitions gel and develop in tandem.
Rodgers commented: "We are at where we're at. We're sat in fifth place up until this point now.
"Of course, it has been a very up and down season, with performances not so good at the beginning and then a period where it has been very good.
"That happens in football, that's what we have, especially with a lot of young players that are still adapting and learning. I don't think it's a mental barrier that the team has - we just need to continue to develop and work as a team.
"It's a very difficult challenge if you look at the four teams that are above us at the moment, but we have to strive to have no excuses and continue to work hard to get back in there again."