Jordan Henderson has launched a staunch defence of his Liverpool team-mates and rejected the idea that players within the squad haven't given their all at times this season - but the Reds captain admits the vicious scheduling of European football has taken its toll on the current group.
Liverpool welcome Everton to Anfield on Monday evening to contest the latest instalment of the Merseyside derby, with both sides - sitting 10th and 18th in the table respectively - looking to make amends for their disastrous Premier League campaigns so far this term.
Currently, Jurgen Klopp's side are enduring a torrid run of form and are yet to win in the league since the turn of the year - having suffered humbling defeats at the hands of Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, the Blues, who recently replaced Frank Lampard with former Burnley boss Sean Dyche after a run of one win in nine Premier League games since October, make the short voyage off the back of their win against table-topping Arsenal last weekend.
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Speaking in Monday's matchday programme, Henderson acknowledged that performance levels have dropped unacceptably at Anfield this term but rejected the theory that complacency has set into the Reds' squad due to a lack of wanting.
"Recent results, and our form over the season in general, means we have to accept a lot of the criticism that has come our way," wrote Henderson. "This is the price on the ticket when you sign for a big club and there aren't many that are as big as this one.
"As players we know what our responsibilities are and what the expectations on us will be, so when standards do drop we know there will be no shortage of people wanting to point out where we are going wrong.
"Again, no problem, this goes with the territory. There is one criticism that I will never allow to be levelled at this group of players, though, and that is that they're not giving their all or that their desire isn't as strong as it was previously.
"I see their desire every single day. I feel how much they want it. I witness first-hand the lengths that the lads are going to, individually and collectively, to try to make things better."
He added: "The effort that gets put in at the training ground is incredible, whether it's injured players trying to work their way back to fitness or lads who are playing regularly. No stone is left unturned and no-one is giving any less than 100 per cent."
A season-defining two weeks awaits Liverpool, with Everton and Newcastle to come first in the Premier League as the Reds look to get their bid for Champions League qualification back on track, before the small task of facing up to Real Madrid at Anfield in the first of two legs against the Spanish, European and World champions.
However, last month Klopp finally recognised, publicly, the effect last season's mammoth 63-game quadruple quest has had on his players physically, coupled with the misery of missing out on both the Champions League and Premier League. And Henderson, who has not returned to the starting XI since the humiliating Premier League defeat at Brighton last month, agrees with the assessment of his manager but heavily reiterated that the dedication of those in the Anfield dressing room is as strong as ever heading into a crucial run of fixtures.
"Results and outcomes may not be what they have been in recent seasons, but there has been no change whatsoever to our desire to be the best that we possibly can be for this club and for our supporters," added Henderson. "The commitment is as strong as ever. It is that simple.
"I also take into account what we have been through together. The 63 games we played last season; the schedule that never seems to let up; the current season being punctuated by a World Cup and all the challenges that this has posed. None of this is to make excuses, it is just to tell it like it is.
"For all of the plaudits that we received when things were going well, one of our most overlooked qualities was that this is an honest group that always gives its all and just gets on with things. Again, that is as true now as it was then. If anything, there are situations now where we might even be trying too hard."
He added: "That's a natural consequence of where we're at so we have to find a balance, but I would rather have it this way than the opposite. If everyone is having a go, we have a chance. We just have to channel it the right way.
"All we need to focus on is the here and now. It is always all about the next game anyway and that principle is even more important at times like this when things aren't going well. Let's take one step at a time and see where it takes us."
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