Gerrard says Reds need to react against Fiorentina defeat

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says the Reds need to bounce back quickly in order to get over their Fiorentina defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday and there's no better place to start then against Chelsea this Sunday.

"We need to get the defeat in Florence out of our system quickly, because we have a massive game now at Chelsea on Sunday," said Gerrard in the Independent.

"We were disappointed to lose in Florence, we were second best all over the pitch and deserved to go in at the break losing."

"The reaction was better in the second half and we created some chances, but we just could not get into the game. We did not do what we usually do away from home in Europe.

"We normally play at a high tempo and pass the ball really well, and play well on the counter-attack. But all over the pitch we just did not turn up. But this group is still wide open, there's plenty of football to be played and we are now in the same position as Fiorentina with a win and a defeat, and they still have to face us at Anfield.

"If we win our next home game [against Lyons], things will be different. If we win our home games now that should be enough, we'll be fine.

"What we need is to produce a reaction from this defeat at Stamford Bridge, that has to be the aim now.

"But we need to get this defeat out of our system quickly, because we have a massive game now at Chelsea.

Aurelio says Benitez raged at half time in Fiorentina

Fabio Aurelio has admitted that manager Rafael Benitez's mood in the dressing room at half time during the Fiorentina game was the most annoyed the player has ever seen the coach. Aurelio is well placed to assess Benitez's temper having served under him a Valencia before joining him at the Reds.

“That was the most annoyed we have seen the manager but we all were,” said Aurelio in the Telegraph.

“We all felt like that after the first half and that’s why you saw a better performance in the second.

“But we didn’t need harsh words at half-time – we all knew that we were not playing well and that we had to be much better.

“In the second we were a different side and if it had been like that from the start it could have been a different result.”

“In football you always have a chance to put it right and turn things to your favour and ours comes at Chelsea on Sunday.”

“It’s a good opportunity for us to get over the disappointment of losing to Fiorentina.

“It is a very important game in the Premier League, against a very strong side, and we have to recover from this result straight away and have the confidence we can do a good job again.

“We have to fight really hard to take the points.

“It’s important to get something against the top sides. We are scoring more goals at the moment but you must keep improving if you want to win trophies.”

Rafa describes Fiorentina defeat as Liverpool's worst performance in 5 years

Rafael Benítez has described the 2-0 defeat against Fiorentina as Liverpool's worst performance in his time at the club, as Liverpool were rocked by two first half strikes from teenager Stevan Jovetic. The Reds were slow to start and the fast passing Tuscany side were clearly Happy to take advantage of the Anfield clubs sluggish opening 45 minutes, impressing several punishing moves, converting twice.

"Our mentality in that opening period was just not right, we were bad all over the pitch and I cannot really recall a performance like that," said Benítez in the Telegraph.

“The first half was the worst performance I have seen in my time here. We were doing everything wrong. Fiorentina pressed us well and made us make mistakes. When you make mistakes at this level, you get punished. I was not happy with the challenging all over the pitch in the first half. The mentality was not good enough. We were too nervous. They did well, but we did everything badly.”

"We now have Chelsea away at the weekend in an important Premier League game. I believe you will see a different Liverpool in that match, a totally different performance with a different mentality.

"Then we have Lyon home and away in this group, they are the leaders and it means we have to now win them both.

"We certainly will not be as bad again. If you make too many mistakes against such sides, you will be punished. It is very simple.

"Mentally we will have better days than this. We did improve, but we needed to score early in the second-half. We had the chances but we failed to take them."

Fiorentina coach and former Juventus player Cesare Prandelli said: "We were fantastic, that is the best performance I have seen by a Fiorentina side in the four years I have been in charge.

"Liverpool did not play well, but that was because of the performance of my team. We were outstanding."