Gerrard urges calm after Baggies defeat

Soccer:Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says there is no reason to panic after their surprise opening-day defeat at West Brom. The Reds had Daniel Agger sent off as they lost 3-0 at The Hawthorns but Gerrard believes it is essential everyone looks beyond the result.

“The feeling after was one of total shock with the result. It was never a 3-0 game,” said the England international. “I fancied us to go there, dominate and win but things didn’t work out that way. In football you can be left feeling hard done by.

“It’s not the start we wanted but it’s no time for panic. It’s only the first game and it was one bad day at the office. We’ve got to look at the bigger picture. There’s been so much hope around the place and rightly so.”

“After a 3-0 defeat everyone is going to be concerned. It’s important that the likes of myself and the other experienced players take responsibility for a poor defeat. We have to put it behind us. We’ve got to dust ourselves down and bounce back against Hearts (in the Europa League) on Thursday night. We have to react in the right manner and look to put things right in the coming games.”

Midfielder Charlie Adam has dismissed speculation about his future at Anfield by insisting he is determined to stay and fight for his place. The Scotland international, signed last summer by former manager Kenny Dalglish, has fallen down the pecking order after the return to fitness of Lucas Leiva and the arrival of Joe Allen from Swansea.

He has already been linked to a number of clubs but said he was committed to staying. “I am happy at Liverpool and why would I leave after a year? There is no point. I am open enough to say I have had a conversation with the manager but for me I’m not going anywhere.

“I am playing with some of the best players in the world; I have a good coach, good manager, and I am learning every day from what he is doing. I want to play this year and hopefully I get the opportunity to do that.

“For us at Liverpool it is a big season, we have got the Europa League and we want to improve on what we did last year in the league.”