Toure: We can bounce back on Tuesday night
Kolo Toure is calling on Liverpool to provide an immediate response to their 0-0 draw with Sunderland when they welcome FC Basel next week for an all-or-nothing Champions League showdown.
The Ivorian was handed a fourth consecutive start alongside Martin Skrtel at the heart of the Reds' defence for the Barclays Premier League clash against the Black Cats at Anfield on Saturday.
While the Reds held firm to pick up a fourth clean sheet of the campaign at one end of the field, the visitors were equally immoveable at the other as Gustavo Poyet's side repelled each attack the Reds staged.
That Brendan Rodgers' charges were unable to break the deadlock and extend their recent run of victories to three in the league came as a source of frustration to Toure and his teammates.
However, the 33-year-old has pin-pointed the upcoming clash against Basel, in the final Champions League group game, as a perfect opportunity for the team to return to peak form.
"We know that we could have done better [against Sunderland], because we dominated the game and we needed to score, but we didn't," Toure told Liverpoolfc.com.
"But at the end, I think this league is really tough. Sunderland got a draw with Chelsea which showed how strong they are defensively.
"[Our next] game against Basel is a final. We just need to win the game. There's no choice - we have to attack and try to win the match. It's going to be a really interesting game for everybody - for the players and for the fans. We need everything that we have got to win this game."
Despite the disappointment at points dropped in the league, Toure was at least able to reflect with some satisfaction on a fourth shut-out for the team this season - his second in the space of three games.
"It's very important," he explained. "I think this game was about scoring goals for us and it was really important to win the game. But I think as a team we defended very well. Simon [Mignolet] was great again as was Skrtel at the back.
"Sunderland defended very well and with plenty of numbers at the back, with one striker staying up front. We knew that it was going to be a tough game. We needed a little luck to score the goal that could have changed the game, but we didn't get that."
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