Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, has challenged Liverpool to leave him out of pocket by reproducing the form that beat Norwich City 5-0 last weekend against Oldham in the FA Cup on Sunday and Arsenal in the Premier League next midweek.
The Liverpool manager vowed to take the entire first-team squad for a meal before Christmas providing they won three consecutive games, a sequence they recorded against Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland and Mansfield Town. He fulfilled the promise last Friday before the Norwich rout and will repeat the exercise once Liverpool produce another hat-trick of wins.
Rodgers said: "I took the players to San Carlo because I told them that, going into the new year, I would pay for lunch if we got three wins on the trot. Maybe I should have tried it in August. When they won at Mansfield one of the first things they said in the changing room afterwards was: 'You better get your money out.'
"Team spirit is important and, even though it was just a nice lunch, the more you are together and you can do that your spirit grows. The players enjoyed it so we have started the run again and it is me to pay again. I realised it could cost me when Glen Johnson was having apple tart. I might have to limit it to a main meal but I don't mind, I will do anything to get us winning. We will stick at getting three wins for now and then, once I am out of money, we can increase the target."
