BRAZILIAN defender Fabio Aurelio maintains Liverpool’s stars must shoulder the blame for the club’s humiliating exit from the Champions League.

The versatile 30-year-old, back from a calf injury, played in midfield in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory in Budapest against Hungarian champions Debrecen.

Aurelio said: “The players still have confidence and we know that it is only us who can change our situation by working hard to improve.

“We know we can do better, certainly than we are doing at the moment.

“The team are now intent on winning at Everton on Sunday and starting to get more points right to the end of the season. Then we will see what position we are in, and what we are able to fight for.

“It is a big game next against Everton and a big opportunity to improve and regain the strength we need for a long season ahead.”

Aurelio added: “It is difficult to explain how we feel. Being Liverpool, you expect to go much further in the competition than we have done this season.

“But now we cannot allow ourselves to dwell on what has happened, we must concentrate on the future to fight for a different title, the Europa League.

“In the Premier League we know we have to do better and we have a massive game at the weekend at Everton.”