Gerrard refusing to panic

Steven Gerrard says "it is no time for panic" at Liverpool despite the defeat to Manchester United leaving them in the bottom three.

The Reds dominated most of the match at Anfield, even after the 39th-minute dismissal of midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, but a harsh late penalty awarded by referee Mark Halsey gave United a 2-1 win to leave Liverpool winless after five games and third from bottom. Gerrard gave his side the lead with a smart volley seconds after half-time only for Rafael to equalise before Robin van Persie scored from the spot. Even though their first five matches have seen both Manchester clubs and Arsenal visit Merseyside, Gerrard felt they should have done better than the two points they have accumulated so far. "We are not going to use any excuses, we know how many points we've got on the board and it's not good enough," said the England captain. "A club like Liverpool, especially at home, should be looking to take maximum points off those sides, it doesn't matter how good they are. "But it is no time to panic. The fans can see what the manager is trying to do and they can see what the players are trying to do because they are educated supporters." He added: "We know if we keep applying that kind of effort and determination it will only be a matter of time before we go on a winning sequence. Not many sides will be able to live with us because we played some good stuff."