Brendan Rodgers Addresses Sack Rumours, Critics in Everton vs. Liverpool Presser

Less than 24 hours after a dull 1-1 home draw against Sion in the Europa League, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was back under the media spotlight on Friday in the build-up to this weekend's Merseyside derby.

Rodgers' Reds travel to Goodison Park to face Everton this Sunday under a mountain of pressure, yet the boss has insisted he still has no fears regarding the safety of his position, per the Mirror's Alex Richards: "It is not something I am worried about. I am not seeking any reassurances [about my future]."

Jon Super/Associated Press

Fans of the club may well wonder why not after seeing their side nullified against Swiss opposition on Thursday, with last Saturday's 3-2 win over Aston Villa now the only win in their last five games.

It's been discussed at length that after arriving at Anfield in 2012, Rodgers insisted he be judged in three years' time. With that countdown now past its deadline, he's still facing a wave of criticism and went on to add, per Richards:

"

My worry and ambition is always the success of the club. I’ve always been clear that as manager you will always have critics, and sometimes the level of that increases. I also know there’s a lot of great support out there, which wants the team to do well.

It’s about perspective. It’s still very early. We’re a couple of points off where we want to be, five points off the top with a lot of improvement left to come.

"

Daniel Sturridge showed some of that improvement after starting against Villa last weekend, and his brace salvaged the three points and saw the Reds score more than once in a Premier League game for the first time this season.

The England striker's absence last season inhibited the club, as they could only finish sixth, but Rodgers admitted victories are the only way to earn the fans' backing, per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:

Just three wins from their opening seven league matches is hardly the return Liverpool were hoping for after spending so much time reshaping their squad this summer, while Everton have made modest progress up the table.

In a candid assessment of the campaign so far, Rodgers was sure to praise the Toffees for their work in the current campaign, while confessing the Reds are enduring a "disaster" start to their 2015-16 season.

Boos were heard ringing around Anfield on Thursday as the home support let their second-string side know the Sion draw wasn't good enough by their standards, and the manager took notice:

The last three successive Merseyside derbies in the league hosted at Goodison Park have ended with both teams sharing the spoils, but the landscape of the fixture is looking different this time around.

Rodgers is proud of that record, insisting "we've played well at Goodison under me," per Richards, but a victory this time around would go a long way to convincing his critics he can still be the man to lead this club.

Roberto Martinez's men are four places above Liverpool and the advantage of a home setting may see them take on the favourites tag. Richards provided further comment from Rodgers, who professed to not caring much for which team is considered front-runner:

"

There’s no advantage or disadvantage to being favourites. It shows that we’re a big club and people look to us to take the initiative. Every game we go into, the level of the opponents goes up, because of the nature of the club we are.

It shows the club we are at, the level of expectancy as opposed to other clubs. We have to live with that, we’re expected to do well, and it’s about helping the team evolve and deal with that expectancy.

"

Liverpool may not be "expected to do well" if the uncertain start to this term lingers much longer, and talk of Rodgers' potential axing could be dealt a hammer blow depending on Sunday's result.

The Northern Irishman continues to stand up in the face of the considerable adversity coming in his direction, facing what could prove to be a sink-or-swim fixture under the spotlight of Goodison.