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- Dubai 04:31 05:49 12:21 15:48 18:47 20:05
England's interim manager Stuart Pearce (front C) trains with his soccer squad members Stewart Downing (L-R), Steven Gerrard and Theo Walcott, during a training session at Wembley in London February 28, 2012. England is due to play against the Netherlands in an international friendly soccer match in London on Wednesday. (REUTERS)
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has warned his teammates that they simply cannot afford a collapse in the Premier League run-in.
After a disappointing weekend defeat by Arsenal has made the race for a Champions League place almost an impossibility, Gerrard believes Liverpool can transform their league campaign.
"A few weeks ago, people were writing off Arsenal's season, but their recent performances show how foolish that is. That's what we need to do now," insisted Gerrard.
The Reds have already qualified for the Europa League by winning the Carling Cup, but that triumph will put them into the early qualifying rounds of the second tier competition, which have a start date at the beginning of August.
To avoid returning to action less than a month after the final of Euro 2012, Liverpool must finish at least fifth in the league or win the FA Cup.
They are currently in seventh place, five points behind Newcastle in sixth and 10 behind Arsenal who are fourth.
Gerard said: "We still have plenty of points to play for in the league, but it means we can't afford to drop too many more points between now and the middle of May if we want to get back into the top four.
"Competition for the [fourth] Champions League spot is very tough, but we still have to play most of the teams around us, and defeating those sides will still play a major part in deciding where we finish."
Saturday's defeat to Arsenal leaves Liverpool only three points above Fulham and Stoke, and four clear of a West Brom side under the control of Liverpool manager-reject Roy Hodgson.
Martin Skrtel (https://bit.ly/yCWxpA), who has been the club's player of the season so far, believes the Champions League should still be the aim, not matter how faint a prospect it has become.
"There is no point in letting all our efforts so far come to nothing," he said. "It's only at the end of the season we can relax.
"The aim was always to reach the Champions League places and win a cup - but we have to remain focused to achieve that.
Gerrard will return to training this week, after recovering from the hamstring injury picked up on England duty that kept him out of the Arsenal game.
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