Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has defended their inconsistency this season.
It was a summer of significant change at Anfield, following the sale of Luis Suarez and the arrival of nine new players but the manager insisted he had no choice but to break up the squad that finished second in the Barclays Premier League.
"It was not even a bold step (to do that)," said Rodgers. "It's what we had to do. We couldn't go this season with the same group of players. And also we lost a top player.
"So some of it had to be done. It was clear we needed to do that and it is clear that some of the young players that have come in, we've see their qualities. It's just going to take them time to adapt."
Rodgers added: "The players we brought in were not really established. With young players, you get mistakes. Then there is the lifestyle. You have adaptation, new players coming into a different way of life. It may be difficult for other people to understand it because of where we were last season.
"As I said the natural progress of the team was halted a wee bit because we lost a world class talent."
