We must be more consistent, stress Liverpool stalwarts Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher

STEVEN Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have urged Liverpool to recover from their Europa League defeat to Zenit St Petersburg and end their five-match winless streak against Swansea City.

The Reds are on the brink of European elimination following their 2-0 first-leg loss in Russia on Thursday, leaving Brendan Rodgers's side without a victory since last month's 5-0 hammering of Norwich.

Ninth-placed Liverpool are currently one point and two league positions below Rodgers's former club Swansea, who they welcome to Anfield tomorrow.

And with their recent rut opening up a 12-point gap between themselves and the Premier League's top four, Liverpool captain Gerrard has called on his team to respond in style against the Swans.

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"We're obviously down. It's a difficult moment but we need a reaction," he said.

"It was a tough night in tough conditions (against Zenit). It wasn't the result we wanted. But if you concede sloppy goals, you get punished and that's what happened.

"We've got a big game tomorrow against Swansea and we need to bounce back."

Gerrard's sentiments were echoed by fellow club stalwart Carragher, who announced earlier this month that he would retire at the end of the season.

The former England defender believes Liverpool's most serious weakness is their inconsistency, a fault he believes that has been at Anfield long before Rodgers was appointed.

Liverpool had won eight out of 11 matches prior to their current dip, which has dampened the sense of optimism which was growing on Merseyside.

Tomorrow's clash against Swansea is now seen as crucial for Rodgers's side, and Carragher reckons it is imperative they arrest their recent slide. "It is massively important we get something from tomorrow's game," he said.

"It could have been a great week with results at City and Arsenal (both 2-2 draws) but this is the flip side of it. We have to get out of this little mini-slump we are in very quickly.

"Inconsistency has been a problem for us not just this season — it's not Liverpool's problem this season or Brendan Rodgers's problem — it's been a problem for three or four years.

"That is down to us, the manager and coaching staff to get ourselves out of it because it's been going on a while now."