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Dejan Lovren admits he needs to improve this season – but insists he shouldn’t be made a scapegoat for Liverpool’s woes last term.

The Croatia international endured a torrid first year at Anfield following his £20million move from Southampton.

The most expensive centre-back in the club’s history came in for plenty of flak after producing a succession of error-strewn performances as the Reds trailed home sixth in the Premier League.

However, Lovren believes some of the criticism was unfair and he’s determined to win over the doubters this season.

“It has been tough,” Lovren said.

“I think it was a tough year for everyone at the club and the fans.

“I wasn’t quiet last season, I just wanted to concentrate on myself. I knew what was happening with how I was playing was not right and I didn’t want to speak about it.

“At Southampton it was different. There was a good atmosphere and I was happy. If I am not playing well, I cannot be happy. I didn’t pretend.

“But it is not Dejan Lovren-Liverpool, you know? I cannot defend all alone. It is 11 players. When we are good, everyone is good.

“When we are bad, everyone is bad, not just me. I think we need to look like this, not just put the pressure on me or point the finger. I don’t agree with this.

“I know what the papers were writing about me. I don’t want to have to listen to this again. We want to move on as a team. When we are better, it is because we will be doing all together good.”

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Lovren finished last season out of the side and faces a battle to force his way back in with Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho looking like Brendan Rodgers’ first-choice centre-back pairing.

However, the 26-year-old is looking to the future with optimism

“We knew that at the end of the season we should have done better,” he said. “Now we need to forget it and look forward.

“We cannot look back. I know this season will definitely be better.

“I hope this year we will have a better start. The signs are promising at the minute and we have made great signings.

“James (Milner) has been brilliant, Divock (Origi) has been amazing and Danny (Ings) is quite quick. I hope that I will have a good season as well.

“It is better that you have competition than not. We are all fighting for our places – nobody can be 100% certain for his place. I think it is a good thing for the club that we have quality defenders.”

Lovren was delighted to play the full 90 minutes in the win over Adelaide on Monday night.

The Reds have now arrived in Kuala Lumpur for the final game of their tour against a Malaysia XI on Friday.

“The atmosphere was amazing, there were 53,000 people and it was incredible to see the stadium all in red,” Lovren said.

“We played well, we pressed well and we are working hard. The last few days have been hard but we are going forward.

“We know what we want to achieve and it is good to be in the habit of winning every time.”