Brendan Rodgers boldly proclaimed Saturday what many have been thinking for the last few weeks.
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa was its third consecutive victory, something the Reds previously hadn’t managed to do in 2014-15. Rodgers told reporters after the game that the Reds have rediscovered the best aspects of their playing style, and the Reds’ confidence has returned amid a run of positive results.
“We have regained our identity in how the team has played for two years,” Rodgers said in his postgame press conference, according to LiverpoolFC.com. “It is fair to say that in the opening four months or so of the season we were just nowhere near what we have been. We needed to find a solution to that.
“We changed the system for (the Manchester United game) and even though we lost the game, I saw enough in our play and the dynamic of the team to show that it could be a way for us going forward.
“There has been a lot of hard work, the players have got confidence now in the way of working and they have been performing very, very well.
Liverpool extended its road winning streak to five games and its unbeaten run to eight in all competitions. The streaks coincide with increases in the Reds’ passing tempo, the intensity of their pressing and the dynamism of their off-the-ball running, which all are hallmarks of Rodgers’ philosophy.
Liverpool is entering a season-defining period, as the Capital One Cup semifinal against Chelsea and Premier League games against rivals for a top-four finish are on the horizon.
Rodgers assured the public that the Reds will only will get better in the coming weeks and months.
“There’s a lot of improvement left in this team and group,” Rodgers said. “But we’re building towards the future here at the club. We have been progressing very well.
