Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits the club's winless start to the season has increased the pressure on the players.
The Reds have taken just two points from their opening five Barclays Premier League matches, which have included home games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal. They now have fixtures against Norwich, on Saturday, Stoke and Reading (both at home) which, ordinarily, they would be expected to take at least seven points from.
"We have a run of games coming up now where there are points we should be taking but the longer it (not winning) goes on the more difficult it is going to get so it is important against Norwich we take maximum points," said the 32-year-old.
"If you look at the performances against City and United we should have six [more] points so it is not a case of 'they're out the way now, let's go beat the sides we should beat'.
"I think what we need to do is keep playing like we have done and hopefully we'll get the rub of the green, get referee's decisions in our favour and we will go on and take maximum points.
"Of course it puts more pressure on us. If we had won against United and beaten City everyone would be saying about how good a result it was at Sunderland (a 1-1 draw).
"But because that win hasn't come it seems as if we dropped points at Sunderland, so it is no good getting a point from these tough away games any more, we need to win them."
Manager Brendan Rodgers believes the United game was a turning point and as they head to Norfolk, where last season Luis Suarez scored a brilliant hat-trick in a 3-0 win, he feels things are finally starting to come together.
"We know it is a difficult place to go - the last three seasons Norwich have been strong at Carrow Road - but if we can get the same result as last year we'll be fine," he said.
"Certainly our opening five fixtures were always going to be tough but we have that mentality within the group that we have been looking for and the balance in the team is good and the spirit is strong."
Source: PA
