Rodgers: Fans can dream but Pool won't be champions on May 11

SINGAPORE- With Liverpool top of the table on Christmas, manager Brendan Rodgers admits the fans can dream of ending their long wait for the Premier League title.

But he is confident there will be no complacency within the squad as they chase their first league crown since 1990.

The Reds are top on Dec 25 for the first time since 2008 - when they became the last side not to win the title from that position.

Since then the 19-time champions have been in gradual decline, and even at this stage of last season, Liverpool had not been in the top half of the table at any time.

The current campaign has seen them drop out of the top six for only two days and they have spent four separate spells at the top of the table. For that reason, Rodgers can understand why supporters are in a jubilant mood.

It is not a feeling which is felt within their Melwood training base, however.

"You don't get the rewards at Christmas. It is a nostalgic time and people always want to know where the team are at around Christmas Day," he said.

NO REWARDS

"We want to be there but we want to be there at the end of the season and for that there is a lot of hard work ahead.

"It is brilliant for supporters, I am not going to deny them a dream - it is nice for us all to dream.

"It has been a hard period in this club for four or five years and this (being top) was probably a distant thought for them.

"They have to enjoy it, but for me as a manager, my concentration has always been and always will be on the next game. That has served us well and seen us grow so I won't change that.

"We can't be complacent and we won't be because we haven't done anything yet.

"We are top at Christmas, which is great, but we need to continue that run in the second half of the season."

Tomorrow morning's (Singapore time) game at Manchester City will mark the halfway point of the campaign and, irrespective of the result at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool will still be considered title challengers.

It is not a role many of the players will be familiar with but Rodgers does not believe that makes a difference yet.

"Of course there are teams who will have much more experience than ourselves at winning titles, but you only get that experience by doing it and focusing on the job," said the Reds boss.

"If we can continue with that over the course of the next 10 games, we will assess it for the final run-in.

"You need to get that experience from somewhere and you only do that by going on and winning games.

"Since January we have shown we can consistently perform and win games on a regular basis, and we have shown we are a very attack-minded team - we have the most goals of a Premier League team in this calendar year."

This will be a testing time for Liverpool as injuries are starting to bite and it may be a while before he has a full-strength squad to choose from.

"Our squad are very thin at the moment. We have 17 players, which is unfortunate at this very busy period," said Rodgers.

"None of the guys who have been out have returned.

"Steven (Gerrard) is working really well on the field and may be the one who is back a little bit sooner, as he has been getting round-the-clock treatment (for a hamstring strain).

"Jose Enrique's (knee) operation was four weeks last Thursday, so he has a bit of time and Daniel Sturridge is progressing well, but it is still going to be into January before he will be back (from an ankle sprain)." - PA Sport.

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