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Rodgers: It isn't about Balotelli

Mario Balotelli endured another goalless performance against Newcastle © Getty Images

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Brendan Rodgers stated Liverpool lost as a team in their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday and refused to single out Mario Balotelli for criticism.

Balotelli has been under constant scrutiny since his £16 million-move from AC Milan last summer and the Italian is still yet to score a Premier League goal for his new club.

Rodgers has already defended Balotelli's contribution, as has Steven Gerrard, and the manager was in no mood to speak solely on the forward's plight following the defeat at St James' Park, in which Ayoze Perez scored the only goal for Alan Pardew's side.

"It's not about Mario it's about the team," Rodgers told BT Sport. "We've lost a game today, we collectively lost as a team. We have to go back and analyse it and move on.

"The progress this season was always going to be a slow process because there were so many changes and we haven't started as we would like but we will improve. It's been difficult period. We can only continue to work hard.

"We're disappointed. We had full control of the game but we didn't create as much as we would like. We've been punished for a mistake and it's ended up costing us.

"We passed the ball well. I think the options in front of the ball were good but we lacked a bit in the final third of the field. We opened up the spaces but lacked quality up front."

Balotelli was also involved in a bizarre incident at the start of the second half as he ran back onto the pitch just as Newcastle kicked off.

However, Rodgers downplayed the situation and said: "It had no bearing at all on the result."

Gerrard gave a typically tenacious performace in the Liverpool midfield and his manager indicated he wants to keep the 34-year-old at Anfield.

Gerrard, whose existing deal expires in June next year, had raised the possibility of leaving his home-town club with no new deal on the table.

Rodgers said: "It's quite straightforward. I had a meeting with Steven's representative explaining the situation. "I very much want him to be a part of what we are doing here. He's been a brilliant captain for me. I relayed that to the ownership.

"I'm sure he will go away with that and hopefully his representative will organise a deal. Steven is very much part of what I'm doing here. He's a unique player, a unique talent."

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