“So, I am really surprised with the critics. When you talk about big names, people just analyse the names and not how the player is when he is on the pitch. He was not 100% fit.

“We have to take Fernando to Lyon because we don’t have too many options. We have to keep working with him and the rest of the players.”

Meanwhile, Pepe Reina has revealed his desire to commit his future to Anfield.

The goalkeeper is on the brink of tying up a new deal with the club and said: “My aim is to get a new contract in the future and I want to be here for many years. Apparently the club wants the same.

“It’s already my fifth season here and that says it all, really. One of my daughters is a Scouser. I have some friends here and my wife and kids are happy. I have every reason to stay longer and of course I will.

“Titles are what we are all here for. As a Liverpool player, you have to have these ambitions. Trophies are the most important thing, and the most important one is probably the Premier League.

“Rafa Benitez is building something special here. He proved that when he came here – the club was one thing and now it’s something totally different. We have grown up and we can still grow up a little bit more.”

Reina’s words seem to conflict with the current form of Liverpool, particularly as they have already lost five Premier League games.

No team has won the Premier League losing more than that number for nine years, and Champions League hopes are also looking slim given their precarious position in Group E.

But Reina is refusing to give up hope on landing silverware this campaign.

“It’s not even close to being over,” he said. “We have to go game by game. Now we must focus on Lyon, which is massive, and after that Birmingham is a must-win game.

“All of us have to keep everyone else’s head up.

“In weak moments, strong people have to appear. I want to be one of them and support my team-mates if they need it.

“The key is to stay together. Belief is the word we need to use the most – belief in ourselves and our team-mates.

“We were a bit unlucky on Saturday. We didn’t play as bad as at other times. It was not even close to our worst game.

“It’s a tough moment but we have to stick together and try to sort things out on the pitch and in every single training session. We have pride in wearing this shirt and we have to defend it until the end.

“Any defeat hurts someone with ambition and someone who is hungry for titles. But it doesn’t matter how many times you fall down – what matters is how many times you get up and keep trying to be the best.

“That’s what we have to do now. We have to go back to our principles, sort out the problems we’re having and go back to being the Liverpool everyone wants.”