Rafael Benitez is confident Liverpool can continue to close the gap on the Premier League's pacesetters as they head into what promises to be a vital period in their season.
The Reds boss feels his side have taken some unfair criticism this year and believes they could yet prove their doubters wrong if they can maintain their winning momentum in key league matches with Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal.
"How near we finish to the top now will be interesting," said Benitez. "We have been criticised this season, but let us see where we are in three or four weeks.
"We have important games and if we win them we will be a lot closer. If we can beat Manchester United we will be closer to the top, and that will give us more confidence.
"If we beat Everton after that then we will be closer still. Maybe, maybe we can be closer if we do not talk too much about it.
"Do we have a point to prove? Maybe, but only if we can keep winning three points."
If the Reds can extend their winning run to eight matches with victory at Old Trafford they will go into the Merseyside derby with Everton confident of putting some daylight between themselves and their neighbours in fifth place.
But Benitez is not interested in looking too far ahead and is instead focused on leading the Reds to a first win at Old Trafford since 2004.
"We now have a very tough spell," he said. "Everyone kept saying that because of that we had to win our three home league games with West Ham, Newcastle and now Reading. We have now done that.
"Now we have really difficult games and we needed these seven wins beforehand.
"We have five very hard games, three with Arsenal plus Everton and Manchester United away next week. We will only think of each one as it arrives, you cannot start to worry about what is ahead.
"The first one is the most important. If we can keep our momentum then it will be easier going into the second one. We must not waste our time thinking too far ahead."
"We started the season playing well, winning a lot of games, scoring plenty of goals and we were unbeaten in the league until December.
"Still we have only lost three league games, our problem has been drawing too many and we are aware of that.
"If we had won just three of those drawn matches things would be very different."
The Reds boss feels his side have taken some unfair criticism this year and believes they could yet prove their doubters wrong if they can maintain their winning momentum in key league matches with Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal.
"How near we finish to the top now will be interesting," said Benitez. "We have been criticised this season, but let us see where we are in three or four weeks.
"We have important games and if we win them we will be a lot closer. If we can beat Manchester United we will be closer to the top, and that will give us more confidence.
"If we beat Everton after that then we will be closer still. Maybe, maybe we can be closer if we do not talk too much about it.
"Do we have a point to prove? Maybe, but only if we can keep winning three points."
If the Reds can extend their winning run to eight matches with victory at Old Trafford they will go into the Merseyside derby with Everton confident of putting some daylight between themselves and their neighbours in fifth place.
But Benitez is not interested in looking too far ahead and is instead focused on leading the Reds to a first win at Old Trafford since 2004.
"We now have a very tough spell," he said. "Everyone kept saying that because of that we had to win our three home league games with West Ham, Newcastle and now Reading. We have now done that.
"Now we have really difficult games and we needed these seven wins beforehand.
"We have five very hard games, three with Arsenal plus Everton and Manchester United away next week. We will only think of each one as it arrives, you cannot start to worry about what is ahead.
"The first one is the most important. If we can keep our momentum then it will be easier going into the second one. We must not waste our time thinking too far ahead."
"We started the season playing well, winning a lot of games, scoring plenty of goals and we were unbeaten in the league until December.
"Still we have only lost three league games, our problem has been drawing too many and we are aware of that.
"If we had won just three of those drawn matches things would be very different."
I am not sure of how Benitez coped with the other big clubs in Spain but he has been disappointing in the Premiership. We win all three and we have a shout for the title, get three from nine and its fourth. These run of games will test Benitez's tactical ability in the Premiership and the strength and character of the squad.
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