Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Liverpool are a different team when compared to last year.
The Merseyside club lost the Premier League title to Manchester City during the previous campaign as they finished second. The Reds saw their star player Luis Suarez join Barcelona earlier in the summer and the sale from the Uruguayan international helped Liverpool to sign nine players.
So far this season, the Northern Irishman has seen his side struggle in the league as they are ninth in the table with 21 points from 15 games. Liverpool settled for a goalless draw against Sunderland on Saturday and Rodgers admitted that the hosts lacked intensity in the first half against the Black Cats.
“We’re a different team to last year, with different players at the top end of the field. Guys like Rickie Lambert are giving their all and working very, very hard,” Rodgers said in his post-match press conference.
“The supporters are used to seeing goals and that creativity, but it’s a different team with different players. We have to continue to work hard – and that’s what the players are doing.”
“Teams maybe come here a little bit deeper this year, and you’ve got to give Sunderland credit today as well – they defended well.
“The first half was a little slow in intensity – there wasn’t too much happening in the game. The second half was much better.
“Our intention was obviously to go and win the game. In the second half, we pressed the game much better and had enough pressure in the right areas but the ball wouldn’t drop to us and we maybe needed a little bit of luck.
“It was a big effort by the players. They have given everything that they have in the last few weeks. They are giving their all. It was important that we kept a clean sheet.
“We’re having to go back to the basics of our game, making sure that we’re solid and hard to beat. It is two clean sheets in three games and seven points out of nine this week,” Liverpool manager said.
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