After all top three sides took three points yesterday Rafa Benitez insisted there is no point looking at the league table and getting frustrated.
The reds are currently 15 points off the top of the table, albeit with two games in hand over the leaders Arsenal.
Rafa insists that Liverpool not only have to improve dramatically but the remaining three matches against the top sides will be the key to the club’s fortunes this year.
“We don’t think about the gap between us and the clubs above us because the only way we can change things is by winning games,” he said.
“If you start thinking of how far behind you are it can cause you problems because you can lose focus.
“The problem for us is expectations because people were talking about this year and saying we had to be contenders and we had spent big money but if you analyse the last 10 years the difference between us and the team at the top has always been about 20 points.
“To win the title you need to get around 89 points, or this year maybe 85, and the record of our club in the Premiership is 82.
“So to win the title you have to do everything almost perfect and because we know it is not easy we cannot be looking at the table every week because you will just end up losing your confidence and playing with more anxiety.”
It is clear that assuming the reds do turn things around the league perhaps the most critical game of the season so far will be the away game at Chelsea.
“I think it is important to say the next target is to win against Aston Villa, then try to win the next game in the cup and then try to beat West Ham and Sunderland in the league and then we play against Chelsea.
“This game will maybe be the key but for me the key is to have targets of two or three games and no more because if you think of the table you will play with anxiety and you will play worse.
“We will see where we are in two or three games and the key this year if we want to reduce the gap are the games away at Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United.
“Normally our performances against these teams away from home are not the best so if we want to change something for the better we must go into these games with options.
“But watching the table will do us no good.”
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