Liverpool's soft centre exposed again by Palace

By Rex Gowar LONDON (Reuters) - Liverpool, beaten 3-1 at Crystal Palace on Sunday, are again facing serious questions about their mental strength after a Selhurt Park defeat with a former player laying into the side and manager Brendan Rodgers aghast. It was at Palace in last season's run-in that Liverpool saw their Premier League title hopes all but vanish when the home side recovered from three goals down to snatch a 3-3 draw. This time the team are only halfway up the league and rather than struggling with the weight of expectation, they are struggling full stop. "It’s a tough moment because of results and we just have to keep our focus on improving, and quickly, because the games now and until the Christmas period are very important and they come thick and fast," Rodgers said. "We made the perfect start but failed to manage the game at 1-0... Obviously, I need to take full responsibility," he told Sky Sports. "Our confidence obviously isn’t high at the moment so you don’t see that speed of the pass and confidence in the creation of chances." Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher, now a TV pundit, pointed to a soft centre in the team. "When they came here (to Selhurst Park) last season we said they were mentally and physically weak. Same again now, nothing has changed," Carragher said on Sky Sports. "As soon as Crystal Palace equalised, Liverpool did not offer anything. They are mentally and physically weak and there is no leadership," Carragher said in a veiled criticism of the waning powers of long-time team mate and captain Steven Gerrard. "We had that at the end of last season and it cost Liverpool the league, it wasn't just the game here, they conceded 50 goals last season," said Carragher. Goals in the final 12 minutes from Joe Ledley and a sublime free kick by Mile Jedinak sent Liverpool crashing to a third successive league defeat despite enjoying 64 percent of possession. Before that, striker Dwight Gayle confirmed he has become a thorn in Liverpool’s flesh with the 17th-minute equaliser, his fourth goal in the teams’ last three Premier League meetings, after England striker Rickie Lambert had given Liverpool an early lead. Lambert was one of several signings, including his England and former Southampton team mate Adam Lallana, bought in the off-season with the money from the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona. So was Italy’s Mario Balotelli, absent on Saturday through injury and yet to score in the league after nine appearances. But Liverpool have been unable to properly replace Suarez, the key player in last season’s title challenge, and are 12th with 14 points from 12 matches. (Editing by Mark Meadows)