Away day blues undermining Liverpool revival

Olympiakos' Ieroklis Stolyidis celebrates after scoring against Liverpool. Xabi Alonso says Liverpool's Spanish revival under new coach Rafael Benitez can only get properly underway once they learn how to play away from Anfield.

Xabi Alonso says Liverpool's Spanish revival under new coach Rafael Benitez can only get properly underway once they learn how to play away from Anfield.

The Reds have lost to Manchester United at Old Trafford and to Olympiakos in the Champions League in nine days without much of a fight.

And they face unbeaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Benitez has seen his side win only once on the road - in the Champions League qualifier against Grazer AK.

Alonso, whose glittering form on Saturday at home to Norwich was in sharp contrast to the display in Piraeus, said: "It is clear that results home and away are obviously very different. And we know that we have to improve many things when we are playing away.

"We have to breed confidence and when we do finally achieve our first away victory of the season then you will see things will change.

"We will have to play better than that when we go to Chelsea, that is for sure. But we are confident that we can bounce back there, certainly.

"We know that we have to change many things but each game is different, we can improve there.

"It is a big game, which is good for us and we will then see what happens."

"We have not really discussed the Chelsea game with the coach yet, after the match is not the moment," Alonso added.

And he admitted careless defending was costing them dearly.

"It is something we must work on as we must do to start winning the second ball in situations from set plays."

Jamie Carragher, one of the few players to come out of the match with any real credit, called for his colleagues to toughen up.

"Under Gerard Houllier our problem was our home form, now it is the reverse. No one can really put their finger on why but we need to sort it out quickly with a couple of away games coming up in the Premiership," he said.

"We had a good away record under the last manager and we were solid. Maybe we were tougher in certain areas.

"You have got to be more of a team away from home because that is when you are under the cosh and decisions go against you.

"We have got to be men and you have just got to show more character. You have got to have people wanting the ball and making challenges."