Leicester vs Liverpool: Paul Robinson and Sue Smith preview tonight's key encounter

So that's tomorrow, tonight there's another Monday night football treat this evening, as Liverpool continue their late push for the top four by facing Leicester at the King Power. Jürgen Klopp feels his team have turned a corner and still hopes of Champions League qualification. Mentality-wise or whatever, these boys are exceptional, they are, they are really, but we still couldn't, we still couldn't deliver for long periods of the season consistently good football, successful football. We couldn't, otherwise we would be somewhere else. So is that normal for human beings from time to time? Do I think the period was a bit too long? Yes. We cannot change that anymore, the only thing we can do now is go with all we have for the last three games and really make the best of what we've got so far. It is six wins in a row, ten games unbeaten, how much are we seeing the Liverpool of old coming back now? I think we are, they're obviously in form at the moment, aren't they? And I was listening to Jürgen Klopp talking and he was saying that he's had more time on the training ground to work with the players only that one game a week, which has allowed them to, I suppose, get back to what we know they're very good at, the intensity, the pressing. And I think, obviously, we've looked at the evolving role of Trent Alexander-Arnold and it's a little bit different, isn't it, how Liverpool have been playing? So it's impacting them going forward, the quality that he has, and you can see that the players in and around him are getting used to that as well. So you think that with time that's only going to improve and get better. And then I also think adding that the forwards have come back fit, so now there's more options for Liverpool. So, yes, certainly the in-form side and you can see that all of those things are just right at the moment, that consistency is back to how we know and we've spoken about Liverpool previously. Yes, I mean, there have been minor tweaks in there, haven't they? The role that Sue was alluding to of Trent Alexander-Arnold just tucking into midfield at times, there's those little things going on. But what Jürgen Klopp was also saying there is, hang on a second, all my players, yes, very strong mentally, but we're human and inevitably this is going to happen at some stage for a moment of time. Is that what this is about? I think, yeah, there's a lot of that and I think he'll be pleased with the results they're getting, but I think the performance-wise, I think there's still a few things that he would like to change, that he would like better from his players. But that Trent Alexander-Arnold role, that hybrid midfield that you talk about, the right-back tucking in, I think that's really helped them because it protects the back three that it becomes with him out of there and it gives them more in midfield because at times this season Liverpool have been overrunning midfield. But with him tucking in there, I saw them in the home game against Fulham and he was outstanding, was Trent Alexander-Arnold, along with the goalkeeper that night. They needed the goalkeeper, Alisson, who for me has been excellent this year as well. But Trent was the best player on the pitch, attacking-wise and defensively. It's a new role for him. I think going forward they create a lot more chances. His assists, we know his quality of assists, but I just think that role in midfield, it just gives them a little bit more protection. Cody Gakpo has taken a little bit of time since he came in in January. I think he's now fitting more into that playing. We've got Jotter back, Diaz coming back into the side as well. The run that they're on, they're not blowing teams away. Their performances aren't, wow, watch Liverpool. They're just creeping up and they're grinding out results. 1-0 against Brentford, 1-0 against Fulham. They beat Spurs when Spurs came back into the game. They showed character, they showed resilience to go back down the other end. The manager will be delighted with the run of form and the character that these players are showing. Newcastle and Manchester United, four points above them. Who's feeling the pressure more from Liverpool breathing down their necks? I think that's what Liverpool are just going to keep doing. They're just going to try and keep winning those games and putting the pressure on those two. I think obviously Manchester United getting that win at the weekend, that was huge because they'd lost the two previous. Newcastle, yes, they picked up a point. But that's all Liverpool can keep doing and finish the season as high as they possibly can. I think that is a huge positive that they've had players back fit. He's now got options. We spoke about Liverpool on numerous occasions this season and we've said, look, Liverpool on their day can beat anybody. But we've just seen a lot of inconsistencies and there's been lots of different reasons for that. But at the moment, they're certainly putting a real good, positive, consistent run of form together. What is an interesting debate is, is the name and the stature of not just Jürgen Klopp, but more importantly Liverpool Football Club, enough for players in the summer? Or do they have to have Champions League in order to attract the top quality, top level of players that they want? No, I think Liverpool as a football club can do that and I think Jürgen Klopp as a manager can do that. You look at his recruitment of Diaz, you look at his recruitment of Gakpo. Yes, they can do that without Champions League football, but it does help. It hugely helps. You can't, Liverpool as a club can't be out of the Champions League for one, two, three seasons. Then that becomes a problem. But where they are now and the ability that they've got to build on what they've got, I'm looking at the fixtures. I think tonight away at Leicester is a huge fixture for them. I think if they continue the run tonight, they've got Villa at home. They'll fancy the chances against anybody at Anfield. We know they'll ground out a result against Brentford and Fulham, but then Southampton away the last game of the season. Liverpool get a result tonight, I can see them finishing right up there. Yeah, but is this a good omen for Leicester? They've beaten Liverpool at the King Power in the last two seasons. Dean Smith thinks they can do the same tonight. I'm confident that we can go and win games with the group of players that we've got, whether that's playing against Liverpool or not. We can only face who comes up next. Liverpool are in a great run of form. We all know about their team. I've watched lyrical about them over the years, but our job now is to get the better of them. How on earth have Leicester ended up here? Yes, they have a game in hand amongst those around them, but they're still two points from safety. They've got three games to go. This is really worrying for them, isn't it? It is, and I think when you look at that Leicester side, they shouldn't be near the relegation positions. I watched their defeat to Fulham and you could see how frustrated the fans were at half-time. They showed the players, told the players exactly what they thought, because I lots of reasons why Leicester could potentially be in this position. Was it the lack of signings? Was it Brendan Rodgers? Was it higher up? I think also the players have to take responsibility because the performance against Fulham just wasn't good enough. Defensively at the back, just look so disjointed, so all over the place. At times you look at them and maybe that is a lack of instruction. Do they press? Do they not press? Are they caught in between? I think Stevens probably showed some clips on that throughout the season, so that lack of instruction maybe has been a factor. You just wonder if Jonny Evans is fit and available. Does he go back into there, that experience, that leader at the back? Because I felt against Fulham, you know, fine going forward. They obviously scored the goals, but defensively was a real area of concern, which it has been most of the season. Not signing a goalkeeper, not just what Kasper Schmeichel brought between the sticks, but what he also brought into the dressing room as well. How significant a loss was that? I think it's becoming apparent now. Danny Ward going in there, he's been changed, been left out the side. Now Iverson's in there and I think, you know, you look at those two, okay, they're good goalkeepers, but they're not Kasper Schmeichel. You look at the type of man, the type of character that he was off the field and there's a lot that comes out of the Leicester dressing room about the type of player that he was and about the type of character that he was as a Brendan Rodgers hasn't played and I think under Brendan Rodgers they got results at certain times this season which potentially elongated his managerial career probably longer than a lot of people thought it would. I think the performance is, there's one particular game they beat Leeds at home when I know he was bang under pressure at that point and then they put four past Tottenham at home and there was times in the season where you just thought there was a turning point coming for Leicester and it just hasn't come for whatever reason it was. Whether it was the manager from the dressing room but I completely agree that they're hugely missing a character like Kasper Schmeichel, not just in the team but in the dressing room. Yep, so it is Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham. A simple yes or no, Sue, can they get out of this predicament? Can they not expand a little bit? Yes they can and I think because we've seen different results and strange results but I think when you look at those fixtures that they've got to play, Leicester fans will be worried. Pivotal tonight I think, it's a huge game for them against Liverpool. I've seen an improvement in character and performance under Dean Smith before the Fulham game, changed it a little bit at half-time against Manchester City, got performance, got a tune out of his players, beat Wolves, got a decent draw where it leads, okay draw at home against Everton, they had wanted to win that and at that point I think Leicester fans are going, we're going to get out of this, we're doing okay, players are showing character. It was worrying away at Fulham. I thought it was going to be pessimistic Paul and sunshine Sue but you live and learn on a Monday, don't you?