Roy Hodgson has requested patience from Liverpool supporters, insisting it was always going to take time for the side to find their feet this season.
The Reds have endured an erratic start to the 2010-11 campaign, both on and off the field.
Six points have been picked up from their opening six Premier League matches, while last week’s Carling Cup humbling by Northampton has done little to suggest that better times are ahead.
Ownership issues also continue to darken the mood at Anfield, with a protest against American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks staged by supporters following Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland.
Hodgson, who took over from from Rafa Benitez over the summer, admits the current situation is hardly ideal.
“The players are trying to come to terms with the enormous expectation here,” he said.
“That, at the moment, is our major problem. Everything is very new; there are a lot of new players, uncertainty over the ownership of the club and the minute you are not top of the table after five or six games, people are saying this is not good enough.
“I am not saying it is good enough but I am saying this is something that could have been predicted.”
Meanwhile, Hodgson has defended Fernando Torres, claiming the Spaniard is returning to his best following a hectic summer.
“The Fernando Torres you saw today was much, much different to the Fernando Torres you saw in the opening couple of games,” he said.
“People wanted to see the very best of him from the moment he stepped back on the field after the World Cup but the point is he needs time, he needs games.”
