Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool can use the World Cup break to their advantage and enjoy a 'strong, exciting' second-half of the season.
Jurgen Klopp's squad are currently enjoying some warm weather training in Dubai as they prepare for their Carabao Cup clash against Manchester City next Thursday, followed by the resumption of Premier League football with a Boxing Day trip to Aston Villa. The Reds were invited to compete in the Dubai Super Cup, with friendlies against Lyon - a 3-2 loss on Sunday - and AC Milan adding a full pre-season feel to the break.
The enforced pause is hoped to mark a natural end to a disappointing first half of the season, with Liverpool enduring their worst start to a league season under Klopp and needing to make up ground quickly in the top-four race. The Reds played every possible game last season - 63 in total - as they competed on all four fronts, and the fatigue that followed the squad through a condensed summer seemed to have hindered their start to the new campaign.
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That makes this six-week break from competitive football a welcome checkpoint as Klopp and his squad rest and reset. And Gerrard, who was sacked as manager of Villa in October, believes the 'second pre-season' can act as an opportunity for them to kick on come Christmas and enjoy a strong end to the season.
"Yeah, it is [like a second pre-season]," Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.com. "It’s an opportunity to get a lot of work in on the training ground [and] reset a few things.
"I’m sure Jurgen and his staff are doing a lot of things tactically but [it’s] also an opportunity to have a much-needed rest. They’ve played a lot of football over the last few years, they were involved in every competition last year.
"So to have a small pre-season before a ball was kicked [and then] to have this opportunity to rest and then have a second build-up, I’m hoping that Liverpool come flying out of the blocks.
"I expect a really strong six months and finish to the season because important players have had the chance to rest and recover and the players [who have been] in the World Cup should come back full of confidence, in a good place, physically ready. I expect a really strong, exciting finish to the season for the Reds.”
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