Liverpool: Poor start to season affected Reds' confidence says Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho has identified a poor start to the 2014/15 season as the main reason for Liverpool's disappointing campaign.

The Reds lost their star player Luis Suarez as the Uruguayan international joined Barcelona last summer. In addition to this, Daniel Sturridge spent most part of the first half of the season on the sidelines.

Suarez's exit and the injury to the England international resulted in lack of goals. The Merseyside club managed just four wins in the first 12 matches of the last season and were also knocked out of the Champions League from the group stages.

The Reds failed to qualify for the Europe's elite club competition next term after finishing sixth in the table. The Brazil international has expressed his disappointment over Liverpool's failure to meet their objectives.

"I think it is clear that Liverpool did not meet the objectives we wanted to this season. At the least we wanted to make sure that we were playing Champions League football again, but that didn't happen," Coutinho is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"We didn't start well and that affected our confidence, but we will be working hard over the summer to make sure we are where we should be. We all know where this club should be, and that is playing and competing at the highest level."

Coutinho's form for Brendan Rodgers' side saw him make it to the PFA Team of the Year. He has also made it to the Brazil squad for the 2015 Copa America in Chile as they kickstart the tournament with a clash against Peru.

The former Inter Milan midfielder says his individual form does not count if the team fails to meet their targets. Coutinho is hopeful that Liverpool can bounce back and achieve their goals next season.

"It was fantastic to be recognized for my personal performances this season, but I don't want to think on that too much because like I say, we did not reach our objectives," the Brazil midfielder said.

"I hope next season to play well again and perform at the same level, but what is most important is that the team plays well and we reach our goals."