Liverpool have come unstuck against a number of defensive-minded sides this season, but Emre Can says it is something that doesn’t affect the Reds.
Many critics of Liverpool’s season thus far have claimed Jurgen Klopp‘s side struggle to break down teams who stick 10 men behind the ball.
The likes of Burnley, Sunderland and Swansea City have all approached games in that manner, coming away with at least a point in the process.
Although it is clear that Liverpool prefer playing more open, expansive opponents—they are unbeaten against the fellow top-six clubs, which speaks volumes—Can doesn’t see it as a problem.
“I think we saw recently a lot of teams like that but it was the same at the beginning of the season and, then, we won every game and nobody spoke about it,” Can told LiverpoolFC.com.
“Now we lost a few games and everybody is speaking about it but I think we are still the same team.
“We know that we can score against these teams and we will have a lot of chances.”
Saturday opponents Hull City may well adopt similar tactics at the KC Stadium, but Can is more wary of the impact made by new Tigers manager Marco Silva.
“When you have a new manager and everything is new, it gives every team a lift,” he added.
“Hull City did good in the last few weeks and they played very good in the last game against Manchester United.
“But I think we have to look at ourselves and try to play our football to try and win the game.”
The 23-year-old gave an honest assessment of the ups and downs of football, following a dreadful January for Liverpool, but is thinking positively ahead of the final three months of the season.
“Nobody knows. Football is like that—sometimes you have good times, sometimes you have bad times,” said the German.
“But we all stick together in good and bad times and we will come back, for sure.
“Our target now is to win the game on Saturday and win the other games as well.
“Fifteen games to go, it’s not too much in three or four months, and of course it would be the best to get 45 points from 15 games!”
With solely the Premier League to focus on now, meaning fresher legs and lots of time on the training ground, Klopp’s men have to treat their remaining matches as cup finals.
While a title challenge appears unlikely, if they can pick up some momentum and slowly gain ground on Chelsea, who knows what might happen.
They must beat 19th-placed Hull on Saturday, though, in order to click back into gear and prove they can win away to the weaker teams.
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