Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has challenged his players to show the right mentality as they travel to Arsenal on Wednesday evening as the look to bounce back from the FA Cup exit to League One side Oldham.
Rodgers believes that there is a question mark over some of his players mentality and wants them to show just how much they care for the club on the pitch rather than just telling him how much they love it at Liverpool.
"I'm trying to piece together here a group who are mentally on the same wavelength," Rodgers explained.
"There are certainly question marks about the mental strength and not just in this period.
"They have to step up to the demands and do it week in, week out. If they don't they won't be here and that goes for both youth and senior players. This is a great season of learning for me in terms of what we have here.
"What I've found from working with players is that plenty of people tell you they care. The greatest benchmark and way I assess it is what people do physically.
"People tell me: 'I want to be in your team, I want to play and do this or that'. I say 'okay', but the minute they walk out the door I look to see what they do physically.
"What you do physically is your commitment mentally. If they are one of the last ones in in the morning and one of the first ones away in the afternoon, then really they don't care."
The Reds boss criticized his younger players in the clash with Oldham and even though he states he is fully behind them he wants them to start taking the opportunities that he presents them.
He added. "The young players know they have a manager here who is 150 per cent behind them.
"They have had great support since the first day I walked in here, but you can't be too nice to young players, especially the modern player.
"The modern player has been brought up differently to the likes of the Carraghers and the Gerrards. Being young doesn't exempt you from criticism.
"But they know they have a manager who will be up in the room going through their mistakes with them individually.
"We never leave them hanging out to dry. We will look at where they need to improve. But they have to understand the responsibility to play for such a club.
"You need resilience and steel. When you go to places like Oldham, you know what you're getting. It's not a Premier League game. You need to roll your sleeves up and fight. It was too soft.
"This is very much about the group. For me the pressure starts higher up the pitch, that's the first point. It was too easy for the ball to be played forward.
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