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Don't just blame Hodgson, urges Gerrard

Steven Gerrard has cut a frustrated figure this season © Getty Images

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Steven Gerrard has defended Roy Hodgson after Liverpool's poor start to the season and said the whole squad has to take responsibility.

Liverpool have endured their worst start to a season since 1953-54, when they were relegated to the Second Division, and shock defeats to Northampton and Blackpool have piled early pressure onto Hodgson.

However, Gerrard told LFC Weekly: "It's unfair for people to just blame the manager for the bad start to the season. We're all in this together, everyone at the club, from top to bottom. We've all got to accept responsibility and pull together if we are to turn things around. A good win in the derby would be the perfect way to start doing that.

"We've had some wonderful Champions League nights at Anfield and I'm sure the supporters would agree with me when I say we want all that back. Obviously the only way to bring it back is to finish in the top four places. That's the main priority for the club and the players. It's where we belong. Over the last five or six years, we've proved that we're one of a number of clubs that deserve to be at that level and we are all determined to get back to it."

Gerrard also came out in defence of Fernando Torres, who has scored just one goal in eight appearances so far this season.

"The only time a centre-forward's body language is 100% right is when they're scoring in every game," he said. "That's the way they are. You only have to look at Fernando's record since he walked through the door to know how good he is but he's had a bad time with injuries of late. He wasn't 100% going into the World Cup and he had a lot of criticism over the summer but he'll bounce back.

"We all believe in him - he's our top man. He's a top player and he's our goalscorer. We all need to get behind Fernando and help him to get back to the form he showed in his first season here. On that form, he's the best centre-forward in the world."

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