Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has brushed off criticism of Steven Gerrard's form, and insisted that he has "no concerns" over his captain.
The ex-England skipper endured a frustrating evening as the Reds were beaten 3-1 by West Ham United on Saturday evening.
However, Rodgers leapt to the defence of Gerrard and claimed that the whole side were poor at Upton Park.
He told reporters: "I have no concerns. He's a brilliant player for us, really talented. It was a team performance that was not up to scratch against West Ham.
"We have conceded eight goals [this season] and the majority of those could have been avoided. But for us as a team, we need to be better. We're still looking to find our performance level, which apart from Tottenham, we've not been at.
"If you look at [Gerrard's] numbers and games, they have been as good as ever. He is at the age where we need to treat him individually. We want him to be involved in the big games because of his experience and we will always taper that recovery to allow him to be the best he can be."
Rodgers's side host Middlesbrough in the third round of the League Cup on Tuesday evening.
Paul Gorst
