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Optimism. It rises and falls, a wild wave formed in the churning brew of your cerebral and emotional proclivities. You ride high at the crest or you sink low to the trough, wrestling ever more to reconcile what you’ve seen with what you believe to create a feeling of positivity or else allow yourself to be submerged into pessimism. Yes, I realize I could use the word ‘buoyant’ here to further this whole water analogy, but we’re moving on to the point now. It’s Emre Can. And this guy is full of optimism.
Tuesday’s draw with Chelsea has unlocked something within this Liverpool team. At least if you go by all the bullish remarks from the players this week. They got a goal back against the league leaders to secure a point and stay in the top four. But the message coming out of Melwood is that the draw will be used to launch the team up and out of their form stupor and into the great heights of their early-season swagger.
“I think everybody saw in that game that we’re still a strong side and we have to keep it up,” said Can.
“Of course, everybody knows that it was a very tough period for all of us. The fans, the team, the manager.
“But now we are positive for the future and I think it was a very good sign, the Chelsea game. We have to make the next step and win the next game against Hull City, hopefully.”
Unity has been the mantra under Jürgen Klopp from day one. He has instilled a togetherness amongst the players. They share the responsibility of winning and of good form. Emre Can is confident that this solidarity will see Liverpool rise back up to their peak after the shaky and unexplainable mystery of January’s horror show.
“Nobody knows,” said Can about the last month’s surprises. “Football is like that. Sometimes you have good times, sometimes you have bad times.
“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 forty-five points from fifteen games!”
My best advice? If Emre Can invites you up to the top of his optimism wave, you just go.