Stoke will throw everything at relegation battle, says Paul Lambert
Thursday 26 April 2018 23:06, UK
Paul Lambert says Stoke will give all they have to win their remaining three Premier League games in their fight to avoid relegation.
The Potters sit second from bottom - four points adrift from safety with 29 points - and could see their 10-year stay in England's top flight ended if they lose to Liverpool this weekend, should results elsewhere go against them.
Ahead of Saturday's visit to Anfield, live on Sky Sports Premier League, Lambert insists Stoke have the belief they can secure survival and says he could not be happier with his players' endeavours.
"They have given me absolutely everything that's in their bodies," Lambert said.
"I've asked them to do things and they've done it.
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"We're still in the fight. I've never really had a problem to pick them up - I really haven't.
"We had a chat to see how they felt and, regarding their attitude and everything I've asked them to do, there's no way I can ask for any more."
Stoke head to Liverpool on the back of two consecutive draws after West Ham and Burnley each came from behind to dent their survival hopes.
With an evident lack of goals this season, Lambert identified a weakness in attack as key to his team's struggles.
"If we had a little bit more care at the top end of the pitch we wouldn't be in this position," he added.
"Little individual things have probably come back and hurt us, but we're still in the fight.
"It's not as if we're sitting here and we're out of the game and we're going out of the league.
"We know it's difficult and we have to throw everything at it that we possibly can, but if we can take this right to the last day then we'll take it."
Lambert is all too aware of the need for a crucial victory at Anfield, a stadium he hailed as "iconic", and believes his players should relish making the trip.
"We know we're going to a really tough place on Saturday," he said.
"But on any given day, you can win.
"I think it's an iconic ground to go and play your football. It's something a player should thrive on, going there.
"But you have to be on the front foot when you go there."
Tuesday's 5-2 Champions League win over Roma is likely to result in Reds boss Jurgen Klopp making changes to his squad, but Lambert says his team must still be at their very best against a side that sit third in the league.
"They can't rest them all. It's an impossibility," said Lambert, who has won three and drawn two of his five visits to Anfield as a manager.
"I know we have to go there and try and win the game.
"We have to be aggressive, we have to play a really high-tempo game ourselves to stay in the game against them."