Liverpool are on course to claim a trophy this season after proving their credentials in recent weeks, says boss Brendan Rodgers.
The Reds have turned around their season after struggling for long periods of the campaign without injured Daniel Sturridge and the departed Luis Suarez.
A late win over Tottenham in the Premier League last week moved the Anfield outfit right into top four contention, while their victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend has kept alive their dreams of winning the FA Cup.
Despite the disappointment of crashing out of the Champions League in the group phase – having only registered one victory – they were offered a lifeline when they qualified for the knock-out stages of the Europa League as a result of finishing third in their group.
The Merseysiders have recently welcomed back Sturridge from his injury nightmare, while Raheem Sterling looks to be back to his best having also demonstrated his versatility by playing as a striker. Even Mario Balotelli is now finding the back of the net after ending his Premier League drought since joining in the summer.
All of the above has resulted in Rodgers feeling positive about the run-in, with him believing his side stand a great chance of claiming a piece of silverware.
“I said at the beginning of the season that the objective was to win a trophy, and so we want to be as strong as we can in every game,” he told the club’s official website.
“The team’s in good condition, mentally and physically. We made a couple of changes, but the team has been very consistent. We want to play as many games as we can. It will be tough, but when you’re winning games it gives you energy.
“You’ve seen that this week. We had a tough week of games, but the players have been brilliant and come through it well.”
Rodgers went on to say that he is looking forward to the challenge of trying to win the Europa League – with the winner of the competition qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Liverpool, though, face a tough test against Turkish side Besiktas, who have already beaten and drawn with Spurs in this term’s group phase.
“Now they’ll recover and really look forward to the Europa League, because it’s a competition we really want to do well in,” Rodgers continued.
“It’s a European competition, a very prestigious tournament and we are very focused on doing well in it.
“We have tough games with Besiktas, but we’ll be ready for them. The players are young and hungry, and this is a group that can grow over the next couple of years.”
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
