BRENDAN RODGERS knows the Liverpool run will end eventually — and he’s desperate for his Leicester team to do it.
The top two face off at the King Power tonight with Jurgen Klopp’s side 10 points ahead of the Foxes with a game in hand.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers knows it is already a huge task for any club to overhaul Liverpool, adding to his hunger to end their unbeaten run
This famous slip by Streven Gerrard at Anfield against Chelsea in April 2014 helped cost Liverpool the titleCredit: Sky Sports
Rodgers believes it will be hard for any team to chase that down.
It would take a bigger fall than when Rodgers was Kop manager in 2014.
Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip allowed Demba Ba to score for Chelsea and punch a hole in their title hopes.
Their five-point lead evaporated and Rodgers knows only too well that finally bringing the Premier League to Anfield would be like a Holy Grail for the Reds.
Klopp’s side are odds-on to be champions six years later with an unbeaten league run that dates back to defeat at Manchester City on January 3.
But Foxes manager Rodgers knows somebody has to beat them and said: “That’s the whole idea. You know as a coach the run’s going to end at some time. So why not be the team that tries to do it?
‘NO BIGGER INCENTIVE’
“They’re a resilient team. They’ve shown if they’re not playing at their best they still get the results somehow, that’s the mark of a team with a winning mentality, especially when it’s consistent.
“But you know it’s going to end and you want to be the team who can go out there and achieve that.”
Leicester lost their first big festive test on Saturday — crushed 3-1 by Manchester City. Rodgers is not thinking about the title but a Champions League place and even some silverware through one of the cups would be a stunning return.
He added: “For us, it’s not about the record but getting the three points . . . and get to our 40-point mark!
“It’s one of these games that take cares of themselves, it’s second versus first and there’s no bigger incentive than coming off the back of losing a game. You want to get into your best game and for me it’s the best game we could’ve had.
“It’s the perfect opponent for us, especially here at home.”
Jurgen klopp will take his Premier League leaders to Leicester after celebrating becoming world club champions last weekendCredit: Getty – Contributor
Rodgers lost late on at Anfield earlier this season but believes Leicester have become a better side since then.
He added: “Yeah, I believe so. I think our mindset has improved. Mentally we have developed from that.
“That response to when we lost at Liverpool, there was disappointment, but we were able to reflect on that and review.
“Consequently we were able to string those eight consecutive wins together which is a very difficult thing to do at this level.”
Rodgers saw the Reds win the Fifa World Club Championship for the first time last weekend — but knows the Premier League title is the one that is craved the most on Merseyside.
He added: “At Liverpool when you haven’t won it in the Premier League era, that’s always the one that is missing.
They have won the Champions League a few times now in the last decade but haven’t won the league in that period.
‘CLEAR AGENDA’
“Of course that’s a big draw. It’s a sign of consistency and that you’re the best team over 38 games.
“That’s the accolade all the top teams want to achieve.
“They’re a fantastic team and I don’t think you can argue against that.
“Over time, you’d want to be winning the league. If you can do it a number of times that’s what you want to achieve.
“Every top team wants to say that they’ve won the league. That’ll be the clear agenda for Liverpool, having gone so close last season.”
But Rodgers says it is becoming more difficult to dominate in the Premier league because of the wealth behind so many clubs.
He added: “It’s very difficult in the modern era to do that.
“There’s a number of teams who have great wealth.
“Many years ago there were only a few teams who had that level of wealth so they could run away and win lots of titles.
“But it doesn’t take away from the fact that Liverpool are a fantastic team.
“We have to fight to improve and get as close as we can to that level.
“You have to look at them and Man City as two of the top teams you’ll have seen at this level.
“Look at Liverpool and we were part of the process when we were there with my staff and, for the next couple of years, Jurgen continued to build on that.
“Then they put in investment that brings it to the next level in terms of wingers, goalkeepers, centre-half . . . that then takes you to the next level.
“And then this year the consistency they’ve shown.
“The likes of Jordan Henderson, he’s very experienced now, he understood the pressures of being at Liverpool.
“Winning, getting to European finals, that makes you better.
“That’s what I always say about losing, sometimes it makes you better, and there is no better team than Liverpool that is showing that.
“They kept going, working and fighting and eventually they won the Champions League.”
This Saturday’s Premier league sees Norwich take on Tottenham and Burnley v Man Utd
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
