RACE FOR FOURTH
Insua insists Liverpool revivial must start now
Emiliano Insua has urged his Liverpool team-mates to make the international break a line in the sand as they seek to turn around their disastrous campaign in a week of season-defining matches.
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Emiliano Insua: Liverpool must repel ambitious Manchester City.
Liverpool face the challenge of Manchester City - who have eyes for their status as a top-four club - and then try to salvage their Champions League hopes on Tuesday at Debrecen. To round out the week, Liverpool visit city rivals Everton in the Premier League on Sunday - when the Toffees would love nothing more than to drive another dagger into the heart of Liverpool's faltering league campaign.
Full-back Insua knows just how important it is for Liverpool to show they are not prepared to give up their Champions League place to the likes of City without a fight, and said the time is now for his side to start registering precious victories, although he maintained the consequences of a loss wouldn't be fatal.
"We know we have to start winning games and this is a big game, but it's still too early to be looking at the league table," he said. "Maybe we can look at it again in February or March and then see where we are. We have to start showing what we are capable of.
"City have signed a lot of top players and they are a good team but we have a good squad as well. They want to be in the top four but there are a lot of teams fighting for this, so we have to push hard and start winning games. But there is long way to go in the season and a lot of games left in the Premier League for us to put things right, starting with Manchester City.''
Insua insisted home ground advantage would give Liverpool the edge over a City team out to score a symbolic victory in the race for Champions League places.
Insua added: "Maybe we are making some mistakes in defence and conceding goals from set pieces but we have worked hard on this in training and are confident we can put things right. City will come to Anfield to try and win and I think it will be a very open game. We have to be strong in defence and we have an advantage because we are playing at home with our fans behind us.''
