Xabi Alonso admits Liverpool will have to improve if they are to challenge for honours at the end of the season.
Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to Merseyside rivals Everton in the fourth round of the FA Cup was the club’s third successive share of the spoils.
The first two of those, against Stoke and then Everton last Monday, cost Rafael Benitez’s side top spot in the Barclays Premier League.
However, Alonso believes the players can work through their problems and get their campaign back on track.
“We have to keep going, that is the way we have to carry on if we are to have success this season,” he said. “Being critical of ourselves we need to improve in certain areas.
“The performance (against Everton) was better than Monday. We controlled the game much better.
“Of course we are not happy with the mistake we made (conceding the goal) but it was better.
“It was a good ball (from Fernando Torres for the goal) but we had a few more chances to score a second goal and it is something we have to work on and correct.”
Liverpool were undone by Tim Cahill at a set-piece for the second successive match as he escaped his marker to head Steven Pienaar’s corner into the path of Joleon Lescott who had only to divert it past Pepe Reina with his head from close range.
Cahill has been operating as a makeshift striker because of Everton’s injury crisis and Alonso knows he will remain a threat in the replay at Goodison Park a week on Wednesday.
“We are disappointed. We always expect to win home games but after they scored it was a difficult situation,” added the Spain midfielder.
“The team kept playing the same way and trying to score and we were unlucky.
“We know he (Cahill) is good in those situations and for the future we will have to get that right.
“We are confident we can go to Goodison and win. We don’t have to fear anyone. We respect them but you can’t fear anyone.”
Dirk Kuyt also reflected the mood of disappointment, coupled with determination to put it right and ensure a meeting with the winners of the Aston Villa v Doncaster Rovers replay.
He said: “We’re disappointed we haven’t won. We really wanted to win after what happened on Monday, and I thought we had the chances to kill the game but it didn’t happen for us. But we’ve got another chance in the replay.
“We don’t have fear, we’ve shown we can win at Goodison earlier this season, and we know that sometimes it’s easier for us to play away from home as it can give us much more space.
“You saw that Everton were playing very defensively. They are very tough to play against because they defend very well and had a lot of people behind the ball. Hopefully we can get more space in the replay.
“We don’t look at it as though the pressure is now off us a little going into the replay. The good thing from the game on Sunday is that we have another chance. We believe we can beat them.”
Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to Merseyside rivals Everton in the fourth round of the FA Cup was the club’s third successive share of the spoils.
The first two of those, against Stoke and then Everton last Monday, cost Rafael Benitez’s side top spot in the Barclays Premier League.
However, Alonso believes the players can work through their problems and get their campaign back on track.
“We have to keep going, that is the way we have to carry on if we are to have success this season,” he said. “Being critical of ourselves we need to improve in certain areas.
“The performance (against Everton) was better than Monday. We controlled the game much better.
“Of course we are not happy with the mistake we made (conceding the goal) but it was better.
“It was a good ball (from Fernando Torres for the goal) but we had a few more chances to score a second goal and it is something we have to work on and correct.”
Liverpool were undone by Tim Cahill at a set-piece for the second successive match as he escaped his marker to head Steven Pienaar’s corner into the path of Joleon Lescott who had only to divert it past Pepe Reina with his head from close range.
Cahill has been operating as a makeshift striker because of Everton’s injury crisis and Alonso knows he will remain a threat in the replay at Goodison Park a week on Wednesday.
“We are disappointed. We always expect to win home games but after they scored it was a difficult situation,” added the Spain midfielder.
“The team kept playing the same way and trying to score and we were unlucky.
“We know he (Cahill) is good in those situations and for the future we will have to get that right.
“We are confident we can go to Goodison and win. We don’t have to fear anyone. We respect them but you can’t fear anyone.”
Dirk Kuyt also reflected the mood of disappointment, coupled with determination to put it right and ensure a meeting with the winners of the Aston Villa v Doncaster Rovers replay.
He said: “We’re disappointed we haven’t won. We really wanted to win after what happened on Monday, and I thought we had the chances to kill the game but it didn’t happen for us. But we’ve got another chance in the replay.
“We don’t have fear, we’ve shown we can win at Goodison earlier this season, and we know that sometimes it’s easier for us to play away from home as it can give us much more space.
“You saw that Everton were playing very defensively. They are very tough to play against because they defend very well and had a lot of people behind the ball. Hopefully we can get more space in the replay.
“We don’t look at it as though the pressure is now off us a little going into the replay. The good thing from the game on Sunday is that we have another chance. We believe we can beat them.”
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