• Premier League

Liverpool dressing room is united, says Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has dismissed as "totally untrue" Paul Ince's claims of dressing room unrest at Anfield.

Ince, who played for the club between 1997 and 1999, said in an interview with Talksport on Monday that he believes striker Mario Balotelli is ruining team spirit, and that Liverpool should sell him as soon as possible.

He also said there was "a lack of spirit" in Rodgers' side, who are 11th in the Premier League after winning six out of 16 matches, but Rodgers says that rumours of disharmony at Anfield are unfounded.

Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool have slipped to 11th in the table © Getty Images

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"Our dressing room is very strong. We're very fortunate that we've got a captain [Steven Gerrard] who's a strong leader in the dressing room," said Rodgers.

"That's something that's been very important in my time here, that spirit. I hear one or two bits and pieces that have been said about unrest. It's totally untrue."

Balotelli returned after six matches out with a groin injury to appear as a half-time substitute for Adam Lallana as Liverpool lost 3-0 at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ince - a former Premier League manager at Blackburn - claimed that the striker "just plays for himself" and suggested that he was a disruptive influence.

Balotelli's groin problem has not cleared up completely, making him a doubt for Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final at Championship leaders Bournemouth.

Rodgers stopped short of defending his £16 million summer buy at a news conference on Tuesday, but did vow to get the best out of him "while he's here at the club".

"There are lots of opinions about Liverpool," added Rodgers. "Paul's someone I respect. He was a wonderful player and he's managed himself, so he knows the pressures of management. He's given his opinion

"Mario's here as a Liverpool player. As the manager, I need to work to try to maximise what I can get out of the player. That's the same with every single player. While he's here at the club, that's all I'll ever concentrate on."

Rodgers accepts that Liverpool's performances so far this season have been below expectations, but believes they will improve.

He said: "Of course, we're not happy that we're not winning games. These are competitive players. A lot of them nearly won the league last season, so they are competitive, and they won't be happy with losing.

"But the spirit in the group is very, very strong. That's one of the reasons I believe that once we get that confidence back through winning games and performing well, we'll go into the second half of the season and be much better."

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