Hyypia demands improvements

Liverpool defender acknowledges need to up standards

Last updated: 18th August 2008

Hyypia Sami

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Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia is well aware that he and his team-mates must improve if they are to fulfil plans of a Premier League title challenge.

The Reds have been tipped as potential league winners this season, but they started the campaign under pressure following a less than impressive performance against Standard Liege in UEFA Champions League qualification.

And Rafa Benitez's side again came in for criticism at Sunderland at the weekend as a late Fernando Torres goal rescued another lacklustre outing in their first domestic game of 2008/09.

Centre-back Hyypia started the game at the Stadium of Light and he acknowledges that improvements must be made if Liverpool are to end their 18-year wait for a top-flight title.

Tough

"The first half in particular was not good enough, we know that," Hyypia told the Liverpool Echo.

"It was tough for us at the start of the game. They came out of the blocks really quickly and set a really high tempo, which you'd expect because it was their first home game of the season.

"They put us under a lot of pressure and maybe we were a little bit slow to get going.

"It was certainly not the best game we have played, but the important thing was that we got better in the second half and at the end Fernando popped up with a goal and that was enough to win the game.

"The most important thing is that we got the win. It was good to get three points and keep a clean sheet."