Tuesday 23 September 2014 11:43, UK
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers remains confident that his skipper Steven Gerrard will continue to deliver at the highest level.
The Reds have lost three of their opening five Premier League games this season with many questioning the performances of their 34-year-old talisman.
Gerrard, who retired from international duty with England following the World Cup in Brazil, struggled to make an impact during their 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Saturday.
But Rodgers insists he is not worried by his captain’s form.
"No concerns whatsoever, no," said Rodgers. "He is a brilliant player for us, really talented. It was a team performance overall on Saturday that just wasn't quite up to scratch.
"I feel we have managed his recovery really well in the last two seasons.
"Even when Steven was playing international football, I think if you look at his numbers and games and minutes he has played, you'll see in the last couple of seasons that it is as good as it has been in his career.
"He is obviously at an age where we will look at him individually as a player.
"We want him to be involved in our big games because of his experiences and his talent, and we'll always taper that recovery for him to allow him to be at the very best he can be."
Rodgers has revealed how the mood is low in his new-look squad, but he still believes they can emerge as genuine title contenders.
"Of course, you're not all smiles because when you lose games, it's not a feeling we've been used to a lot, especially in the last season or so,” he told the club’s official website.
"But you have to refocus and you have to move on. That's the nature of this level at the top end.
"Us as coaches and managers, we analyse the performance, and it's my job to ensure the confidence is retained within the group.
"It hasn't been a great start by any means, but I have worked with the team enough and I know the players and how they do respond. That honesty in the group and how hard they want to work, it gives me great hope.
"It is a long campaign and we've got a lot of games. As I said, we haven't made a great start by any means, but we'll improve. We've shown in my time here, my team will get better in the second half of the season.”
Liverpool were left with an uphill task after leaking two early goals at West Ham, while Aston Villa also exposed their defensive fragility in the recent 1-0 win at Anfield.
Rodgers accepts his side must raise their standards as they prepare for the Capital One Cup visit of Middlesbrough and Sunday’s Merseyside derby with Everton.
“As a team and a squad, we all respect that we can be much better,” he said. “We're still looking to find our performance level, which apart from Tottenham we haven't quite been at. But it's something I have no doubt about.
"We've been here before. When I first came in, there were a lot of games and new players coming in and, at that time, it was a new manager, but we eventually got to where we wanted to be.
"It's a combination of continual hard work on the training field - working even harder - and looking to really ensure we retain that confidence.
"And obviously cutting out mistakes. We've made mistakes in games, and we just need to make sure that under pressure - which you come under in games - you think clearly."
