Brendan Rodgers believes there is an agenda against him as he claimed the “hysteria” around Liverpool has been caused by people trying to get him dismissed.
The Liverpool manager believes he retains the support of his players, who he felt were “outstanding” as they beat Aston Villa 3-2 to record a first league win in five attempts.
But he believes Liverpool are being judged differently to their rivals as he suggested that there are those, who he stressed are outside the club, who want to see him dismissed.
“I am pretty confident that there is a group of people that don’t want me here,” he said. “In all competitions, we have lost less games than Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. The hysteria around ourselves is interesting to note.
“Sometimes we haven’t lost games and the hysteria around it is pretty clear. There is maybe something else going on from behind.”
The reality is that Rodgers remains under pressure, but it was alleviated by stand-in captain James Milner, who scored his first Liverpool goal, and Daniel Sturridge, who delivered a match-winning pair of goals on just his second appearance in five months.
“The last time we scored three goals was when he started against Tottenham” in March, said Rodgers, whose team had averaged under a goal a game this season. “It is not rocket science. If you want to compete at the top you need quality. Daniel Sturridge has shown in his time he is a real top talent.
“James is a top-class professional. He came here with a much greater responsibility. It was only a matter of time before he got a goal. It was a wonderful finish on his left foot.”
Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood rued Liverpool’s first-minute opener and Sturridge’s second, which came a minute after Rudy Gestede had halved the deficit, saying: “The timing of the goals killed us. If you score two at Anfield you expect to take something from the game but we didn’t do that.”
Gestede, who was a £6 million (Dh33.5m) summer signing from Blackburn, has struck four times in his brief Villa career. “People questioned if he would score in the Premier League,” Sherwood said. “Rudy Gestede will score at any level of the game because he is such a threat.”
Villa’s past six games have produced only one point and they have dropped into the relegation zone but Sherwood said: “I think we deserve to have more points.”
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