Rodgers: "We Can't Get Carried Away"

Aside from a delightfully delusional minority, most Liverpool supporters have taken a measured approach to celebrating Liverpool's early season success. While four wins from four--three 1-0 victories in league and an extra-time win over Notts County in the League Cup--have Liverpool off to their best start in nearly twenty years, that doesn't necessarily guarantee that this is the season the club return to the top, or even finish among the Champions League places. It's been fun, no doubt, and certainly far better than last season, but there's still plenty of work left to be done.

That's been a theme for Brendan Rodgers and his squad through the preseason and into September, which the manager continued in an interview with The Liverpool Echo as the international break reached its halfway point:

"It's been a great start for us but we can't get carried away. We had a difficult start to last season but since January our form has been outstanding. I have to say the players have been magnificent with the work they have put in. We had a really good pre-season when we had the whole squad together working well and that ensured we were well prepared.

"If you work your socks off then talent comes through and we need to keep working in this way going forward. The players have already demonstrated so far this season that they have that resilience to keep fighting and persevere to get the result. There is a long way to go this season but we're really looking forward to the challenge."

The change in mentality--or at least the narrative we've created about the change in mentality--has been encouraging even if the scorelines haven't. Each time out, there's been a general consensus that Liverpool would have managed to lose or draw their first three league matches--narrow leads, physical front men, danger from set pieces, Liverpool being Liverpool, etc.

And yet, the fight and perseverance protected one-goal leads in each, and against Notts County it produced two goals in extra-time to seal progress to the third round of the League Cup. Thus far Liverpool don't appear to be overly impressed with themselves despite the solid start, and all signs point to the manager, staff, and squad all being on the same page about where progress is needed. That cohesion, along with the aforementioned fight, perseverance, and mentality, seems to indicate that Liverpool is indeed ready for the challenge ahead, and that the danger of feeling overly satisfied with themselves one month into the season is minimal.

That doesn't mean we can't enjoy it, though. Just ask Lucas.

More from The Liverpool Offside:

• Everything's the Worst: Fireside Chat Edition
• Henderson: "I'll Try to Push On"
• On Kolo Touré and Being an Excellent Teammate
• Damien Comolli And The Power Of Self Delusion
• Rodgers Believes Sterling Already One of England's Best