Pepe Reina has told supporters to be realistic over Liverpool's prospects of challenging for silverware this season.
Liverpool keeper calls for realism
Pepe Reina has told supporters to be realistic over Liverpool's prospects of challenging for silverware this season, admitting it might be difficult to reclaim a UEFA Champions League place.
The Reds would appear to be in a transitional period after appointing Roy Hodgson as Rafa Benitez's replacement over the summer, with the new manager bringing in several new players before the transfer deadline.
Uncertainty continues to surround the long-term ownership of the club and Hodgson does not believe Liverpool can start thinking about winning the title until this matter is resolved.
On the pitch, Liverpool have made a slow start to the new campaign with just five points from their opening for games, but Reina believes fans must be patient.
Having finished seventh last term, Reina is not sure that fans can necessarily expect a return to the top four.
"We have to make sure that people don't think of winning the league or being in the top four already at this moment," said the goalkeeper, who starred in Sunday's goalless stalemate against Birmingham.
"It is going to take a while. We have got to get used to the new players and then the system.
"There are many good teams and our target is to be up there but we have to be realistic.
"Is a Champions League spot realistic this season? I don't know. We will find out at the end of the season what we can achieve.
"Of course, we have to challenge for being up there. Maybe it will take a while."
Concentrate
Reina does not believe Liverpool can afford to look too far ahead and should only be focused on the next game, against Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Spaniard added: "No-one has patience nowadays. We are just asking for a little bit.
"We did not spend much money and in football to compete with the others sometimes it is important to do it.
"We couldn't. We sold some players and we used the money for buying some others.
"It's going to be like this for a little while until we sort out the (owners) situation.
"All we believe is that we have to win the next game and don't think about the end of the season.
"We just have to concentrate on the next game and take it from there.
"April and May is the time to talk about targets."
Konchesky
Liverpool will be looking to give their fans something to cheer about in continental competition in midweek and Hodgson has been boosted by the news that Paul Konchesky should be fit.
The left-back made his debut against Birmingham before being substituted with a knock late on, but he is expected to face the Romanians at Anfield.
Hodgson told the club's
official website: "He hasn't played for a couple of weeks and he started to feel his hamstring a little bit so we took him off as a precaution and put Daniel Agger on.
"I thought he did well in his first game for us. He was very competent and it bodes well for the future."
