Brendan Rodgers has admitted that his Liverpool side must improve at the back in the wake of their 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa on Saturday.
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The Liverpool manager was highly critical of the defending which allowed Gabriel Agbonlahor to score Villa's ninth-minute winner and called on his defenders to go back to basics to shut out opponents.
"It's still a problem," Rodgers said. "We have to defend better, that's where it starts. Just defend, don't try and be clever. Don't try and play, just defend and don't let them have the set-piece in the first place. Then when the ball comes in the box we lose the first duel. They could have scored more from set-pieces, too -- [Philippe] Senderos had a free header.
"Look at the last game against Spurs. We defended really well and they're a much bigger side. We need to be on the front foot more. We need everyone to defend in the box and that's something we have to be comfortable with."
Rodgers was critical of new arrival Dejan Lovren, who moved to Anfield from Southampton for 20 million pounds this summer. The defender was slow to react as Senderos ran across him at a corner, with Agbonlahor pouncing on the subsequent loose ball to fire Villa into the lead.
"I think you see from the goal that we need that consistency," Rodgers said. "They lost their markers too easily in the box. When you let the opponent get the first contact that's what can happen.
"Lovren is a wonderful defender, strong and aggressive, but we have to do better in that situation. The worst-case scenario should be that when we have days when we're not creative with the ball, then we get a point and move on."