Captain Steven Gerrard claims criticism of Liverpool's start to the season has been over the top.

After seven Premier League games the Reds find themselves languishing in the bottom three after winning just one game.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on manager Roy Hodgson just weeks into his Anfield reign following a third-round Carling Cup humbling at the hands of Northampton Town.

However, speaking ahead of Sunday's huge Merseyside derby meeting with Everton, Gerrard claims recent criticism of the manager and players has been blown out of all proportion.

His rallying cry has arrived on the same day that current co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are attempting to block the £300million sale of the club to New England Sports Ventures in the High Court.

"It's unfair for people to just blame the manager for the bad start to the season," he told LFC Weekly.

"We're all in this together, everyone at the club, from top to bottom.

"We've all got to accept responsibility and pull together if we are to turn things around.

"A good win in the derby would be the perfect way to start doing that.

"We've had some wonderful Champions League nights at Anfield and I'm sure the supporters would agree with me when I say we want all that back.

"Obviously the only way to bring it back is to finish in the top four places.

"That's the main priority for the club and the players. It's where we belong.

"Over the last five or six years we've proved that we're one of a number of clubs that deserve to be at that level and we are all determined to get back to it."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email