Andy Robertson says Liverpool's top-four hopes rest on re-establishing consistency in the second half of the Premier League campaign.
And the Reds left-back believes the club's near two-week stay at a training camp in Dubai will be invaluable when domestic action returns with a visit to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on December 22.
In an exclusive chat with the ECHO at Liverpool's Dubai base, Robertson spoke at length about the problems that have blighted the first half of the season, the tactical details being worked on out in the Middle East and why everyone is raring to go on the other side of the World Cup next week.
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Hi Andy, it's great to get a chance to speak to you today, thanks for your time. Here we are in Dubai, it's a bit of a training camp with a difference this one - how's it all going so far?
"It's obviously been different weather to what we're used to at this time of the year and all of our families back home are wrapping up with the snow and things like that. But this has been important for us, training in this heat, you get out of breath that wee bit quicker and it's been important for us.
"It's an important week or so and coming towards the end of it now it'll be 12 days, so it's been good. Training in the heat, this environment, the pitches, the facilities are great and just being together has been nice. After three weeks off it's just been about fine tuning things and being ready for the start of the Premier League.
"We've settled into the one hotel and the one training ground and there's been no moving about or anything like that. Some of the trips we go on are a wee bit more hectic and commercially-driven where you're jumping about to different cities and things like that, but this is purely football and team bonding as well.
"We've had a couple of dinners out together and had a few things with staff here, so it's been good. Team bonding is important and then being on the pitch, the work we've done on the pitch has been good.
"The dinners we've had, the meetings and things like that have all been important for setting us up for the rest of the season, because usually when we get a break like this, it's in February time maybe and you're going into a sprint finish when you come back. But this time around we've got more games than usual. We're used to playing a lot and that usually works in our favour, so we need to hit the ground running with the start we've had when we come back."
So how do you sum up the first part of the season? It hasn't gone exactly according to the plan so far, I think it's fair to say...
"I think over the past few years, one of the things you can say about this team is that we've been so consistent. We've just lacked that a bit this season. We've had some fantastic results: Man City, Tottenham and Ajax, both away, Southampton near the end before the break. We've had some important wins and the Bournemouth game was a massive one, but then we've had some setbacks as well. The setbacks have been too common for a team like us that people have become used to us not dropping too many points.
"Our away form has not been where it needs to be. Obviously away from home in the Champions League we did well away from home; at Rangers and Ajax, but it's not quite been to the standard we need to be in the Premier League. Home games are important and we have to take care of those but to compete in this league - to go for the Champions League places or the league itself - you need to be winning away games and we haven't quite done that.
"And if you can't win away from home then you have to pick up points and at times we haven't done that. Nottingham Forest comes to mind and it shows that if you're not at your best you can end up getting beat.
"So it's been a wee bit inconsistent, which isn't like us, and it's important now that we get that consistency back for the second half of the season. That's the only way we will get the points we need and start climbing the table. We're obviously not in a position where we want to be."
A common theory is that there's a hangover from last season's exertions. Is there some truth to that or is that too simplistic?
"Look, it's an easy thing to say this season. Last season you look at how many games we were involved in and how much effort it took with everything we put into it, so I can get why people from the outside would say it's a hangover but from our point of view, maybe the success has been our downfall in a way because we've been so consistent in the last five years that people have forgotten that these kind of [results] can happen when all the other big clubs have still been having them, bar Manchester City.
"And I just think this season we've found it difficult. We've found it difficult in certain games, we've not ground out results the way we have in the past. And look, you could sit here and talk about a lot of factors. Last season was intense, maybe people are a bit tired, maybe having a World Cup during the season is unique and that's never happened before. There are lots of factors, but for us, I just think it comes down to us not being consistent enough and that's what our success has been based on.
"The last few years we've been so consistent and even when we haven't been at our best, we've managed to dig out results and pick up points and that's the only way you can be successful in this league. That is something we've been really successful at in recent years and we need to get back to that. When you're not at your best, you have to pick up results, and when you are at your best, you have to capitalise on that.
"I think in games, we've been good in moments, and other games we've not been so good in moments. In those poorer moments, that's when we've conceded. Maybe in the past we've dug it out. How many times in the past has the defence just stood up to it and we've dug in, come away with the result and everyone is relieved? You have to win ugly and I don't think we've done enough of that this season. We've got a large second half of the season coming up and we'll be looking to get more consistent and pick up points.
"Before the break I think we started to get that consistency and we started to pick up points. We started looking a bit like the Liverpool of old and we hope that we can continue that into the Christmas and New Year periods."
Has the break maybe come at an awkward time then given you had some momentum towards the back end of the schedule?
"You could say that. Obviously we'd started building a little bit of momentum. We had a good result away to Ajax, people claimed the Napoli game was a dead-rubber at home, but we had to go and win it. So near the back end, we were getting that consistency and putting in good performances. The Tottenham game is an excellent example of what I've been talking about. First half, we were different class, to go 2-0 up, you know they're going to have a reaction. So the second half was just about digging deep and just fighting for everything and hanging on. Then we came away with a win and that's what you have to do sometimes. You can't win every game 3-0 and it can't always be comfortable and the Tottenham game showed that.
"So look, the break only came at the wrong time if we don't hit the ground running, so you can ask that in a couple of weeks! Hopefully I say no because we've picked up where we left off and we've got some wins because that is the plan. Some of the lads are still on their break from the World Cup and Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) is still in it, so we have to be ready to go for it. We have to be because we've already dropped enough points. We have to be ready to be at our best and try and get a better position."
Hearing the manager at the press conference on Sunday, it sounds like he's desperate to make sure you fly out of the traps after Christmas...
"Obviously this season we've had a few problems. On the pitch maybe some things haven't gone to plan and things like that but this is a perfect time to work on it. We've been working on things and in the game on Sunday I thought for the first 45 minutes we started really well, we were aggressive and the lads looked fresh.
"In the second half we opened up a bit with the younger lads in the team and at 2-1 you always try and go for it to get back in the game and we maybe didn't go about it the right way, but that can happen when you have young players who aren't quite used to the system and things like that.
"It's been so beneficial this week. We've had a lot of team meetings, we've had a lot of time on the pitch and we've just tried to fine tune certain things and maybe this is the first time we've had to do it because the results have been so good and it's all gone so well. This is maybe the first time we've had to look at it and think 'what are we doing wrong? or 'what can we do better'.
"So we've done that and obviously the manager and his team have got clips together to show what we can do better and it's been really good at this part of the season. Being able to see it visually has been really helpful and the lads have learned a lot from it, the younger lads too, so we've got what we need now to go and push on for the second half of the season.
What are some of the things you have had a chance to work on out here?
"We've been working a lot on pressing, counter-pressing and choosing our moments because in games we've not done that enough at times and in some games, we've sort of half-pressed. That is the worst thing you can do because if you go into it and you're not 100% that's when teams can pick you off. We've done that in a few games this season.
"But then again, in other games we've been excellent at it. Manchester City, Ajax, Tottenham; we've been looking at all the good games where the pressing came from. We've been so good [generally] at sitting in our block, picking our moments and knowing when to press. And if we've lost the ball then we have reacted so quickly.
"I think that's what people would say if you were to ask Liverpool fans or fans of other clubs, you know, 'how do you describe Liverpool in the last five years?' I think the answers would be the press offensively, as it's been so good.
"At times it's not been good enough this season, so it's important we try and get that impulse back and get that part of our game to the maximum consistently. At times we've done it really well but it's about being able to make sure we're all pressing at the same time and on the same page and we can sit back when it's the right moment. That is where this week has been really beneficial. We've worked on it this week, we worked on it against Lyon and I am sure we will do the same against AC Milan and then we will be ready for the season to start again."
Just finally then, what's the overriding theme or message within the squad for the second half of the season?
"I think we just need to climb the table. What are we, sixth now? Like I said, the last two weeks were good and we managed to close the gap and climb a couple of spaces but it's important we chase the teams above us and the only way we do that is by being at our best, consistently putting in good performances and if we do that then I believe this can still be a successful season.
"We have had a sticky start but like I say, it's only the start and I think we'll be a lot stronger. We've got to be, we have no other option. I am sure the boys share that determination with me and hopefully we've got a lot more good days than bad ahead of us and we end up where we want to be."
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