“The team is good enough to pull through. They were pretty unlucky at Fulham - they could have been ahead at half-time and both the sendings off were harsh, sometimes things just don't go your way.

“But all they need are a couple of good results and a couple of key players to be fit again and once they've won once or twice everything will be fine again.

“I don't think you can blame the manager for taking Torres off when he's clearly not 100 per cent fit - maybe Torres asked to be taken off, who knows?.”

He added: “It's just ridiculous that people are coming out and saying these things when only the manager knows how fit people are, only he is in charge of that team. I don't think that's up to anyone else to judge.

“I think this game in Lyon on Wednesday is more important than any of the league games they have played recently.

“Financially for Liverpool it is vital for them to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, so at this moment in time you can see why Rafa would prioritise Wednesday's game more than Fulham away.

“There is so much time left in the league - and you saw with Manchester City drawing on Sunday that teams aren't exactly capitalising when Liverpool don't win.

“The big four all lost at least twice in their first 10 games so it seems more competitive at the top and this will work in Liverpool's favour, because you won't need quite as many points as in previous years to get into that top four.

“With Alberto Aquilani getting fit, Steven Gerrard on his way back and the fact that they won't lose any players to the African Cup of Nations in January, I think we'll see Liverpool improving from now on.”