Martin Skrtel believes that fellow team-mate Dejan Lovren can re-discover his best form with Liverpool FC as well as maintaining the belief that the Reds can continue their push for Champions League football next season.
And the Slovakian believes his defensive colleague is making steps in producing the kind of performances, which convinced the Reds to sign him.
Lovren has generally struggled since his £20m move from Southampton last summer. The 25-year-old found himself frozen out of the term as Liverpool resurgence in form began during December and January, but he has been brought back following Mamadou Sakho’s injury in recent weeks.
Lovren missed the crucial penalty in the Europa League shootout against Besiktas last week was a major blow to the defenders confidence, however his display against Manchester City on Sunday hinted at a player working his way back to form.
Skrtel says the Croatian is capable of making a success of himself at Anfield. He admitted that it is hard for a newcomer to find his feet after such a large price tag.
“It wasn’t easy for him after the game against Besiktas, because he missed the penalty,” he said. “But you can’t blame him for that; penalties are always a big risk and a lottery.
“He’s the one who missed, but that’s football and that’s life. He responded well and played really well on Sunday, helping the team to get three points.
“I was glad for him because he’s a nice guy. I talk to him a lot, he’s my neighbour and I’m glad he’s getting to the form that he was in at Southampton.
“It’s not easy to come to a club like Liverpool, because it’s a big club and expectations are very high. It’s not easy to come in and perform well from the first day until the last.
“In football and life you have bad days and better days - that’s normal. I believe Dejan will perform well. He is showing his quality every day in training and also in the games he has played. I just hope he will carry on this way until the end of the season.”
Victory over Manchester City saw Liverpool rise to fifth in the Premier League table, boosting their hopes of a top-four finish, increasing the pressure on the teams around. Brendan Rodgers’ side have now taken 26 points from the last 30 available, and Skrtel says they are ready to continue that form in the coming weeks.
“To beat Manchester City is always something special, especially after the game we played against Besiktas,” he said.
“There wasn’t much time for recovery, but I’m glad we got fit and ready for the game and got the three points. It was very difficult because we played 120 minutes and then penalties and we lost the game.
“So physically and mentally it was very difficult. After the game we were very down and disappointed, but we were saying that we had to forget about that and focus on the next game.
“We have played a lot of games without losing in the Premier League - we’re performing well and getting points. I hope we can carry on this way until the end of the season.
“But the important thing is just to be focused for the next game, take it from game to game as they come and try to get as many points as we can. Then we’ll see where we finish at the end of the season.”