we usually play, but we don't
mind that, we enjoy it. It is great
to play with such high-quality
attacking players but the whole
team deserves a lot of credit
for the run we have had since
the end of October. Everybody
talks a lot about the 'Fabulous
Four' but the work that the
goalkeepers and the defenders
put in as well is crucial to the
team's success. I think their
contribution is sometimes
overlooked, particularly by
people outside of the club.
Everyone here understands how
important they are.
“I saw a statistic after the win
against Swansea where we had
kept ten clean-sheets out of 17
games which isn't too bad so
you have to give compliments to
the defence as well.”
Of course, the Reds' men in the
middle of the pitch are asked to
contribute at both ends of the
field, taking satisfaction from
helping the defensive effort
as well as making sure the
goalscoring burden is shared
throughout the team.
Emre's best scoring return
since he moved to Anfield in the
summer of 2014 is his five-goal
haul last season.
He goes into the first home
game of 2018 with four to his
name so far this term: two in
the crucial UEFA Champions
League play-off second-leg
victory against Hoffenheim
here at Anfield, another in
the 3-0 win over NK
Maribor in the
group stage,
and a powerful
header from a
corner in the
5-1 Premier
League success at Brighton last
month.
That goal at the Amex Stadium,
coming in a game which saw
Emre line-up alongside Gini
Wijnaldum and Dejan Lovren in
a back-three, certainly caught
the Seagulls off guard. Brighton
winger Izzy Brown admitted
afterwards: “Before the game we
were talking about our set-plays
and that we could be a threat.
We never thought Liverpool
would score against us from
a set-play but someone lost
their man and sometimes that
happens in football.”
Emre says: “Hopefully I can go
past my best tally this season.
Three of my goals have come in
cup competitions but that's just
the way it has happened.
"Every goal is important for me.
It would be nice to get one in the
FA Cup too!”
The year 2018 promises to be
an exciting one for Can,
with Germany
installed as
the 9-
favourites
with mostbookmakers for the summer's
World Cup finals. To start with,
Die Mannschaft will face Mexico,
Sweden and South Korea in
Group F.
“First of all there are still
many games with Liverpool to
concentrate on, but I hope to be
able to stay healthy and go to
the World Cup in the summer.
“We did well in Russia
last summer to win the
Confederations Cup and we are
hopeful that we can work hard
and have some more success at
the finals when it comes around.
Our aim will be to win the World
Cup again.”
In the meantime, however, his
focus is Liverpool and he says
the squad is targeting silverware
as they turn their attentions to
the second half of the season.
“We have been in a good way
and we want to try to continue
winning as many games as
possible and hopefully that can
mean having a good run in the
FA Cup as well as the Premier
League and the Champions
League.
“We want to win a
trophy. Every team
is the same but we
are full of belief that
winning a title is
something this
squad is capable of
achieving and we
will give our best.”I'M ALWAYS MY OWN
BIGGEST CRITIC AND
I KNOW THERE ARE A
LOT OF AREAS WHERE
I CAN IMPROVE
REDMEN