Brendan Rodgers admits Liverpool face more pain in the short-term…
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has warned the club’s fans that the team’s fortunes are unlikely to improve in the near future, and has admitted that they are going through a ‘bad patch’.
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Rodgers, who was quoted by the Daily Mail, warned Liverpool may have to endure further short-term pain before they can finally turn their ailing season around – and rediscover last year’s form.
The Reds have indeed endured a miserable start to the season, claiming just seven points from their first six league games, placing them 14th in the table, already nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
Add in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Basel in Switzerland, which leaves Liverpool’s hopes of progressing beyond the Champions League group stages hanging in the balance ahead of back-to-back games against Real Madrid, and it’s definitely a difficult time on Merseyside.
“It’s hard for the supporters and I understand that,” said Rodgers, who is considering giving Rickie Lambert his first Premier League start for Liverpool today, following the poor run of form from fellow new signing Mario Balotelli.
“It must be so difficult to see a team that for 18 months has been so fluent and dynamic. Now they probably look and see a team with maybe no resemblance to that in many ways.
“I understand that and there is no-one more frustrated. We look at our game, which is based a lot on possession, but we’re also a big threat in transition when we’ve won the ball back and we’re on the break. We don’t look a threat at the moment.
“I think the pain is for now. We lost a top-class player (Luis Suarez) and then had to bring in other players to help us now and for the future. Once these players settle in and adapt, and really understand how we work, we’ll move back to where we were.
“There will be frustration now, absolutely. No-one respects that more than me. We have to work hard to get them settled and bedded in. These are players we believe will be outstanding but sometimes it takes a wee bit of time.”
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