Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has hit back at critics of his side following their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Monday night.
The Reds began the season with a draw at home to Arsenal but were soundly beaten at the City of Manchester Stadium, leading some commentators to dismiss their title hopes, something that bemused the former Fulham boss.
"I can't get my head around why, on the second game of the season, it should be seen as such a watershed," Hodgson told Fifa.com.
The Anfield outfit bounced back by beating Trabzonspor home and away to secure qualification to the Europa League and Hodgson praised his side for their efforts in Turkey.
He continued: “We lost a football game. But we showed great character, to keep going and keep playing the right football against Trabzonspor and I was really pleased we achieved victory against a team which are notoriously difficult to beat.
"It is always important to win games and it was good preparation for Sunday.
"It wouldn't have been nice going into the game with two defeats behind us so getting a victory was important for the psychological feeling coming up to a West Brom game."
Next up for the Merseysiders is the visit of West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League and their manager is looking forward to recalling some key players to the starting line-up.
"It will be nice to play at home again and hopefully get the players who weren't in Turkey back into the fray again and maybe a little bit rested," he added.
"That will be useful. It was a very tiring pitch in Trabzon and, had we had to fight with the same XI that we had against Manchester City against West Brom, it would be very tough for them.
"It is good to give one or two of them a rest and psychologically it will be a boost we won the game because you don't want to be going in staring at the possibilities of three bad results on the trot.
"I've spoke to the medical staff; Steven [Gerrard] is feeling better and they are optimistic he will be okay. [Milan] Jovanovic will be okay, but Maxi Rodriguez is still sick and Daniel Agger is feeling a lot better too. It is really only Maxi who is a great doubt.
"This Europa League is in some ways harder on a squad than the Champions League because you get more teams from the far eastern part of Europe. Then you are playing Sunday-Thursday-Sunday, so you need a very big squad."
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