Roy Hodgson has urged his Liverpool players to rise above the criticism and concentrate on turning around the season over the remaining seven months (Liverpool 13/10 in the match betting to beat Bolton).
The Reds have suffered their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and currently sit in 18th place in the table with just nine points from their first nine games played.
The boardroom battle for ownership of the club has hardly helped matters but, with John Henry now in charge, the financial side of affairs at Anfield appear to be sorting themselves out (Liverpool 11/1 to win Europa League).
The low point came in the 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Everton, which left Liverpool staring up at all but two teams in the top-flight table, while last Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers gave the club a boost and ensured that they are now only in the relegation zone on goal difference.
Such is the current state of the standings that one win from a team in the lower reaches could propel them into the top half and Hodgson’s men will have a chance at moving in the right direction when they face Owen Coyle’s side at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The former Fulham tactician admits that the early part of the campaign has been one to forget but believes that it is how the players react to adversity that will ultimately determine if they come out of the season with any credit.
“It is quite easy to kick people when they are down,” he said. “We are down at the moment so the kicks are going to rain down on us. We just have to deal with it.
“The first quarter of the season has not been a good one for us in terms of league form. The next three quarters is going to be very important.
“At the moment we are still in a poor position as far as our league position is concerned. We need to get a result in every game to get out of it.”
The 63-year-old is determined not to get carried away with things, after the successful takeover and the Blackburn victory, but he is confident that there is enough quality in his squad to improve their league position over the next couple of months.
“I am a bit wary of saying the problems are over, we have turned the corner, but I believe in the team and I believe we are capable of doing a lot better in the next quarter of the season than we have in the first quarter,” he added.
Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.
Australia skipper Lucas Neill has told reporters his side are not a team of “whingers” as his side stand on the verge of World Cup elimination. (Australia 20/1 qualify)