Kuqi aiming to kick on
Date published: 13 January 2012
Shefki Kuqi
SHEFKI Kuqi has challenged Athletic to reproduce the form that so worried Liverpool last week.
Athletic's 13-goal top scorer was among the players who came close to handing the team an Anfield advantage even before Robbie Simpson slammed home a goal which shook the Kop.
The Premier League giants ran out comfortable winners in the end.
But Kuqi says that if the positive attacking instincts on show in the FA Cup-tie can be brought through at Huddersfield tomorrow, it will help start off a series of much-needed positive results in npower League One.
"We have done very well against the top teams in this division," said Kuqi, who helped Athletic gain a recent 1-1 draw at Charlton without the help of Simpson, who is ineligible tomorrow. "
"When we play against them, everyone knows how to raise their game and perform well.
"It is a difficult game for us — a local derby, against a Huddersfield team that are doing well.
"I am confident. There are a lot of positives to take from the Liverpool game and now we have to focus on the league and do what we did at Anfield.
"If we can do that, not a lot of teams will be able to live with us and we will score goals.
"We need to put together two or three wins on the bounce, which will change everything in the league."
Kuqi — without a goal in his last seven matches, by far his longest non-scoring sequence since his arrival at Boundary Park — admitted he felt a glow of pride in the way Athletic went about their business against Liverpool.
"They put out a strong side against us.
“And on Wednesday night, they went to Manchester City and won," he added, referring to the Reds' 1-0 win in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.
"I was really proud of the lads.
“The final 5-1 score didn't look good, but that is football.
"It wasn't just the chances.
“We played some very good football aside from that and I think we even surprised them.
"It is out of the window now. But hopefully, we can gain confidence from it for the games we have got coming up in the league."
