Brendan Rodgers watches his LFC players in training
Brendan Rodgers insists Liverpool need cool heads both on and off the field in their pursuit of Premier League glory as he told fans: "Keep calm and enjoy it."
The Reds boss is determined to ensure that the pressure of being involved in the title race doesn't impact on his side's scintillating form as they chase an eighth straight league win against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.
The stadium was gripped by anxiety during the closing stages of Wednesday's nervy 2-1 win over Sunderland but Rodgers wants supporters to embrace the situation the Reds find themselves in.
Second-placed Liverpool have dropped just five points at home all season and the Northern Irishman hopes "a real cauldron" awaits Spurs.
"My message to the fans is to enjoy it," Rodgers told the ECHO.
"We need the fans to stay calm. I know when you want something so much that's easier said than done.
"They haven't been in this position for a while. I can understand that sometimes there is that wee bit of trepidation and fear.
"But what we're looking to put in place here isn't just for one season. We're looking to put something in place for the longer term in order to have sustainable success.
"We're hoping that last season was the beginning. It maybe didn't seem that way in the first four to six months but we did a lot of the groundwork last year and we've been evolving ever since.
"The atmosphere at Anfield can be a real cauldron and now we really need our army of supporters to really get behind us.
"If a player makes a mistake then encourage him. That's so important because if they get that encouragement then they will get on the ball again.
"Amazing support at home is something we've had all season. Let's make sure in these last remaining games it continues along that way. Don't be frightened to really enjoy it because as players and staff we will."
Spurs boss Tim Sherwood has questioned whether Liverpool have the mental stamina to win the title.
This may be new territory for many of Rodgers' squad but he has no concerns about his players' ability to cope during the run-in.
"Of course it's been a long time since we've been challenging at the top but I see the level of their work and their body language every day," he added.
"The players here are very relaxed and focused. It's one where we aren't expected to be where we are – that helps. There is certainly no pressure on ourselves.
"It's exciting for us. The club hasn't been in this position for a number of years and it's something we are embracing.
"My job is to ensure we retain that focus. We have put ourselves in a brilliant position and we've worked hard all year to arrive in this position.
"We just want to continue with this form. At the moment our momentum is very good. We have got class in the team. At times you will lose momentum, but you can't lose class. Other teams may have more experienced players than ours who have won more titles than ours. But we have quality and we also have great hunger to succeed. That hunger can sometimes give you a real advantage. We are playing with no fear and we showed that in the main against Sunderland the other night."
Having analysed the hard-fought win over the Black Cats, Rodgers was more impressed than he was first time around.
"We were more comfortable than what it seemed," he said.
"Up until the 75th minute we were excellent. Probably because we've scored so many goals at home, 2-0 didn't seem like it was comfortable. But watching it again, we passed the ball with great precision and the movement was very good behind and in front of the ball. We were off target at times with our shooting but the composure in our game was very good. Of course after they scored a bit of anxiousness set in in the crowd but that's to be expected.
"What we showed was, one, resilience, and, two, even greater maturity to see the game through.
"That last little spell of the game with taking the ball into the corners was what I've been talking about to them – managing the game. The victory against a team who has beaten lot of big teams this season was an outstanding result for us. For three quarters of the game it was an excellent performance."
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