Reina focusing on victory

BIG game, huge expectations, sensible outlook; Pepe Reina might be excited about the 213th Merseyside derby but he won't allow himself to get distracted by hype.

It is inevitable, whenever Liverpool and Everton clash, that this fixture gets trumpeted up far in excess of any other, a meeting that inevitably has words such as 'massive' and 'vital' regularly attached to it.

Yet looking at it one way, this latest clash between Red and Blue is one of the least important in years; one side is fifth, the other is 10th, the outcome will not determine the destination of a piece of silverware nor will it dominate the national agenda.

Compared to the halcyon days of the 1980s, when both tribes would be going hammer and tongs for the title, this afternoon's lunchtime showdown - to a certain generation at least - does not deserve to be mentioned in the same bracket.

The reality, though, is that there is an enormous amount at stake for both teams; for instance, Everton's hopes of pushing for a place in the top six - which at one stage seemed most unlikely - rest on them getting a first victory at Anfield since 1999.

Liverpool, meanwhile, simply cannot afford to squander any more points if they are to salvage their campaign by finishing in the top four and you have to wonder what effect defeat would have on them psychologically.

There are, then, many fascinating subplots but Reina has no intention of examining any of them in any detail; others might be working out the ramifications of every possible result but the Spaniard is not among them.

"Are we through the worst of the season? You never know," said Reina. "It depends on results. We can talk about improving, being defensively better but, at the end of the day, you have to win. It doesn't matter how you play or if you are defending well."

Given the way the Liverpool's form has fluctuated not so much from month-to-month but week-to-week, the Spanish goalkeeper believes it would be pointless to start looking into the future, particularly ahead of this game.

Some think the seeds of recovery have started to bud during Liverpool's six-match unbeaten run but it is a fragile sequence and only a measured approach will enable them to maintain it against a side looking to be neighbours from hell once again.

"It's all about winning, to score one more goal than your opponent," he continued. "When you win, you have more confidence. Everton is a big, big match for us. We know this. But we are playing at home and our supporters will fill the stadium.

"It's all about your pride. We know that we have not been in the right situation. We have had to think about this, the fact we were not doing as well as we could. But the target at the minute is just to beat Everton.

"That is our only aim. The one after that will be to beat Arsenal. We cannot think any further than the next game because we are not in the same situation as last year when we fought for the title.

"We don't want to put any more pressure on us than there is. We just have to keep winning and stay focused. Defensively we are better now and that is clear. But it is not just that."

That they are defensively better is down in no small part to Reina; while some of his team-mates have been consistently inconsistent, struggling to hit the heights they achieved 12 months ago, the man from Madrid has been a giant.

What's more, he has been responsible for perhaps three of the most memorable moments of this erratic season, moments which showed both his enduring quality between the posts and his commitment to the club.

First was the sight of him hurtling 100 yards from the Anfield Road End to the Kop to celebrate David Ngog's clincher against Manchester United, while more recently a save at Aston Villa from James Milner defied belief.

Sandwiched in between, however, was the best of all; Reina's double stop from Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini in the Goodison derby confirmed him to be at the top of his game - not many of his contemporaries possess such startling reactions.

Yet there is not the slightest hint of him feeling that he should be owed a debt of gratitude or expects plaudits; his sole concern is the team and it is why he has become an increasingly influential figure at the club.

"I try (to take more responsibility)," he said. "I've been here for five years nearly and I know how the club works, what the supporters expect from us. The senior players - me, Stevie, Carra, Mascherano - we have to act like an example.

"We have to stick together. Any player in Liverpool's squad can play at the same level. It is having the right mentality in tough moments. We have to be more together and that is what we are trying to do.

"We knew that proper teams, they build from the back and from good defending. That's what we are trying to do. Stevie said the other day that we are bit more difficult to beat and that is right. Now let's try to win as many points as possible."

They are wise words, befitting an individual who has a measured outlook both on Liverpool's season and the game in general - and it is an approach others will need to follow if the Reds are to make this latest derby experience a winning one.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.