Liverpool can take pressure of title race, says Rodgers

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is confident his players have the composure to deal with a tense Premier League title race.

The Reds moved to the top of the table with a 4-0 win over Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday and, should they win their last six games of the season, they will be champions for the first time in 24 years.

Their run-in includes vital home games with chief rivals Chelsea and Manchester City but Rodgers feels his side could not be any more confident and will take those challenges in stride.

“I have said all along, I feel that when there are pressure situations the players can cope,” said Rodgers after seeing his side go top for the first time since Christmas.

“That is what you want, the courage to play. We made it the game it was because of our intensity, our focus, the quality of our football.

“We work to deal with pressure, to get on the ball. The players know 100 per cent if they make a mistake I will take the blame.

“I didn’t see any nerves. I thought the composure, calmness on the ball, the positioning of the team was outstanding.

“We have a wonderful mix: world-class players, young talents from Europe and South America and a load of young British talent here who show that technically they can play and tactically their ideas are very good and they can operate at this level without any fear.

“You see the confidence, there is no anxiety, no pressure. It was great to watch.”

Despite going top, Rodgers says that he is not thinking about the title.

“The dream is for our supporters, they want to win the title – but it is not in my thinking, my thinking it is to prepare the team and perform well and if we do that we can continue to win games and then we can see where that takes it,” Rodgers added on Sky Sports.

The Liverpool boss was quick to hail the club’s fans, adding: “I thought it was as good an atmosphere as there has been.

“It is a monumental size of club and when we have that support behind us it is a real force and the supporters recognise how hard we are working and hopefully that takes us a long way.”

Rodgers was delighted with how his team performed at Anfield, and the start they made after going ahead after just two minutes.

“To perform like we did from the first whistle it was an immense performance and I am very proud of the them today,” he continued.

Rodgers also spared a thought for counterpart Tim Sherwood, and he insisted that Tottenham should give him more time – amid speculation he will be replaced in the summer.

“It was a great performance but Tottenham have some outstanding players. They are a great club and I hope Tim gets the time to put some of his ideas in place and if they give him that time I am sure they will do very well,” said Rodgers.

Liverpool were the only top-four side to win this weekend, but Rodgers insists he is only thinking about their results.

“In terms of ourselves that can only be our concentration. There are some big opponents in this league, you can’t worry yourself about other teams,” he insisted.

“Our next job, and my next job, is to analyse West Ham [Liverpool's next opponents] and that is our focus.

“We have won eight games in a row and we are enjoying it, we will just enjoy it as it is a fantastic performance and now we just concentrate on the victory and concentrate on next week’s game.”