The Reds manager is adamant that his side are united behind him and ready to work to turn around their poor start to the season ahead of facing Bournemouth in the League Cup

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is adamant that there is no dressing-room unrest at Anfield.

After pushing Manchester City close in the Premier League title race last season, the Reds have struggled to recapture that form in 2014-15. Out of the Champions League and 11th in the top-flight table, they have the chance to put a more positive spin on their campaign when they travel to Championship leaders Bournemouth in the League Cup quarter-final on Wednesday.

In his pre-match news conference, Rodgers was asked about any possible unrest among the squad, claims which he unequivocally denied.

“Our dressing room is very strong. Our captain is a strong leader. Anything said about any unrest is totally untrue,” he insisted.

“We are relaxed but focused on our work and more driven to get results. We are looking to fight to improve.

“When you manage at Liverpool, there is always going to be pressure. The expectancy on us this year is how we played last season. This year the dynamic has totally changed.

“Internally we are very stable. We are disappointed, of course, with how things are going. There is still a long way to go in the league and the points difference can be made up.”

Turning his attentions to Wednesday’s encounter, Rodgers was full of praise for the work that his counterpart, Eddie Howe, has done on the south coast.

“Eddie Howe has done a brilliant job at Bournemouth,” he said. “Top of the Championship, which is a tough league. They are very much a team. It will be a difficult game but it is a challenge the players are really up for.

“[Getting through] would give us confidence. Results haven’t been totally what we would’ve wanted. This is the first cup competition you can see in the season so, for me, it was always a priority. The aim is to go on and win the competition.”

After a 3-0 defeat by Manchester United, the Reds lie 11th in the Premier League and their former goalkeeper urges more fight as they try to adapt to life after Luis Suarez

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek says that “everyone is under pressure” at the club this season.

The Reds’ horrendous season went from bad to worse on Sunday as Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie ran riot at Old Trafford in a 3-0 win for Manchester United.

The defeat increased the pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers, with last season’s runners-up languishing in 11th place after claiming just two wins in their past eight league matches.

Dudek, who played a leading role as Liverpool won the Champions League in 2004-05, warns that Rodgers and his players must unite to get their season back on track.

“I think everyone is under pressure at the club,” he told the press after Liverpool were drawn against Besiktas in the Europa League round of 32. “They had a good season last year and, because of this, there is high expectation this season.

“I think they missed Luis Suarez and, because of that, they’re all under pressure – the boss, the players – but they need to stick together, working hard, especially now before Christmas, and try to sort things out very quickly.

“Liverpool, when they fight all together, they get results. When they have lack of fighters on the pitch they are struggling to get results; they need everyone on board and fight to the end.”

Liverpool were busy during the off-season, recruiting no fewer than eight players. Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Lazar Markovic, Alberto Moreno, Mario Balotelli, Emre Can, Rickie Lambert and Divock Origi (loaned back to Lille) were all signed as Rodgers attempted to challenge for honours in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

But the new arrivals have failed to make an impact and Dudek fears that they be may fighting for their Liverpool careers, noting: “With the new signings, you never know what’s going to happen.

“You think they’re good because they had a very good spell at their previous club and you hope they’ll play as well for Liverpool but they needed time, sometimes they love to play, some will never play.

“Liverpool is a special club with a special coach as well, with very high expectations and some of the players need more time but I don’t know if they will have that time because Liverpool needs results straight away.”

The Senegal international is not reading too much into the struggles of Brendan Rodgers’ men as he prepares to lead the Turkish giants to Anfield in February

Demba Ba has warned Besiktas against underestimating a floundering Liverpool in their Europa League last-32 tie.

Monday’s draw in Nyon paired the Turkish side against Brendan Rodgers’ struggling side, with the first leg set to take place at Anfield on February 19.

It will represent a return to Merseyside for Ba, who on his last visit in April made the most of a slip by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to help former club Chelsea win 2-0 and strike a fateful blow to Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes.

The Reds have been well off the pace in the title race this season and suffered a disappointing Champions League exit against Basel earlier this month after winning just one of their six group matches.

But striker Ba is adamant that Liverpool remain a serious threat and has called on Besiktas to make the most of playing away from home first.

“It’s a difficult pairing. Liverpool are having some hard times now,” he told Uefa’s official website. “They couldn’t get the results they desired and things are not going well for them. Hard games are ahead of us.

“They are a team which try to strike fast and build up the game as quickly as possible. Their technical capacity is high and they are physically strong.

“If we can snatch a good result in the first leg, it will be an advantage to be playing the second leg at home.”