Liverpool players behind Brendan Rodgers, says Lucas Leiva
Sunday 27 September 2015 13:48, UK
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has insisted the players are behind manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Reds boss was forced to hit back at his critics following their 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, accusing people around the club of causing "hysteria".
Newspapers have reported that Rodgers is under pressure to deliver at Anfield and that Jurgen Klopp could be available to them should they decide to make a change.
But Lucas, who starred in the victory that sent Liverpool seventh in the Premier League, told BBC Sport: "We wanted to win for the manager.
"We know what has been said about him and we think we showed we are a group of players behind him and trying to make everything right.
"We know the pressure is on him but we wanted to play the way he wants us to play, and I think we did that."
Daniel Sturridge burst back onto the scene with two goals in his second start since recovering from a long-term injury, and Lucas hailed the striker's impact.
He said: "We know what Daniel is capable of. His quality is amazing, he can score goals, and that's what we were struggling with.
"He's still not 100% in terms of fitness and sharpness but I think he coped really well today with 90 minutes. I think it was very positive to get three goals.
"Of course we still have to improve in a few areas but working hard and winning games will give you the belief to keep going."
