Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called for some perspective after a four-game winless run that dropped English champions to fourth in the Premier League.
The Reds trail surprise leaders Leicester by four points but play their game in hand when Burnley visit Anfield on Thursday.
Concern over Liverpool’s ability to retain the title has grown in recent weeks after a run of three league games without a goal for the first time since 2005.
“The perception from outside goes really quick. People get very unhappy with the performances when the result is not there,” said Klopp, who again defended his side’s display in Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Manchester United.
Manchester City and United both play later on Wednesday and can extend their advantages over Liverpool and take the top spot.
But with over half the season to play, Klopp is expecting plenty more twists and turns before a decisive move is made in the title race.
“Pretty much all the teams had a kind of a dip here and there and some sorted it already, some are on the way to sorting it. That’s the situation. I understand 100 per cent the need to talk all the time about it but we cannot change it just in a minute,” he added. “Someone has to be calm in this situation, it is not a catastrophe. It is not perfect but I saw a lot of good signs again in the Man United game and if we would have won that game everybody would have seen them. Because we didn’t win, then nobody was interested in it.”
Klopp’s centre-back options could be bolstered by the return of Joel Matip for the Burnley clash.
However, the Liverpool boss confirmed Diogo Jota is still “weeks away” from returning to offer some much-needed back up to Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in the attack.
