Dominik Szoboszlai admits Liverpool’s form has not been acceptable

Liverpool’s status as Premier League champions has made them a target this season, according to Dominik Szoboszlai, who admits confidence has dipped at Anfield in recent months.

A 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Wednesday means the Reds have won just four of their last 14 matches, a run that began after their defeat to Crystal Palace in late September.

Now 11 points behind leaders Arsenal heading into their trip to Leeds United, expectations for the season have shifted, with some suggesting that securing Champions League qualification would be a success.

Dominik Szoboszlai, one of Liverpool’s standout performers this campaign, believes the champions’ gold sleeve badges have only motivated opponents further.

“I think that (accepting this would be a harder season) was obvious because everyone wants to win against the champions,” he says.

“We came into the season knowing we would like to do it again. Don’t get me wrong, we are not here to lose. We want to be as smooth as possible, but sometimes it doesn’t work.

“Sometimes they find a solution to play against us and they find out how they can hurt us – play long balls, win second balls, getting dirty, crosses, set-pieces, long throw-ins, whatever.

“That is what we have to find solutions and answers for. Everything has to change a little bit and then it’s going to be all right.

“Right now I think we should focus first on us, and not on the top four. I think there is a long way to go. We have seen many, many comebacks in the history of the Premier League.

“But first of all, we have to focus on us, (take it) game by game. First we have to win games and then we can talk about anything else, but the most important thing is getting the three points over the line.

“It doesn’t matter how. We could do it at the weekend but we couldn’t do it today (against Sunderland). But the good thing in the Premier League is we have so many games.

“Saturday, we can go again and try again. It is not going to be easy because Leeds have a great team. They won against Chelsea and they are full of motivation. But, yeah, we have to give our best.

“When you are not winning games, the confidence obviously goes down a little bit. But I think we are professional enough to get confidence even from your own mind or from somebody else. We talk to each other and give each other confidence during the games and during the sessions and once it clicks then hopefully nobody can stop us.”

Szoboszlai added: “There’s ups and downs. In the first season, we won the Premier League.

“Now, there are situations we have to find a solution for. He will find a solution, but it is not only him. It is also us players because we are on the pitch. He can give the structure and the ideas. Even if they are good, we have to give our best and that is what we try to do every game.

“That is what we are trying to do, to get back to winning ways. That is what we are working on every day, trust me. When you wake up in the morning, your head is like ‘Let’s find a solution to win on the weekend or during the week’.

“That is what we are trying to do but somehow, it doesn’t work out as well as we would like. That’s football. That’s why we love football. Sometimes it is hard, but hard times make you stronger.

“It is important to me. It is something that as a Liverpool player, we shouldn’t be accepting to be in this situation, to draw at home.

“Sunderland have a great team, of course, but if we were in the same situation last year, there is no way we would lose points at home. That is what we are missing now, I think.

“We have to get back to winning ways, but there is a lot of work to do. I try and we try our best every game. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s the whole package, the whole team and the whole situation, we have to find answers for it.

“I think we have the people who can come up with some ideas, and then we will see.”

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