Steven Gerrard promises to improve on Porto

Sep 20 2007 by Paul Walker, Liverpool Daily Post

A disappointed Steven Gerrard leaves the pitch _158

LIVERPOOL’S Scouse contingent are in unison – the five-time European champions cannot afford a repeat of their performance in Porto.

A bemused Anfield outfit returned from Portugal with a fortunate Champions League point after a poor display in the Estadio do Dragao, where somehow and under constant pressure they managed a 1-1 draw in their opening Group A match.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, who looked as if he was suffering from his two-match England exertions last week and was playing despite his fractured toe, was disappointed with the performance.

"We just did not match up to our own standards," he said. "A point away from home in the Champions League is a good result but we’re disappointed with the way we played. We didn’t start well and never really recovered.

"We had 10 men for the last 35 minutes so we had to grind out, and work hard for the result.

"We normally start well in Champions League games and we’re usually a really good side away from home in Europe, but we did not match those standards against Porto.

"We’ve built a successful team in Europe on starting well, making it difficult for the opposition, being good in possession and very good on the counter- attack. All these things did not go well this time.

"We’ve been in two finals in the past three seasons but we never reached those standards in Porto. Before the game, maybe we would have taken a point because Porto are a good side with really dangerous attacking players.

"But they can expect a different Liverpool when they come to Anfield, and if we can take four points off them, it will stand us in good stead in the group stages."

Defender Carragher was upbeat even though the overall performance must have surprised Europe’s other big guns. He said: "There is no need to panic. We showed a lot of character to get ourselves back in the game and probably had the better of the chances in the second- half with 10 men.

"We would probably have taken that result before the game."