"I've been here before with Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez and it is always a tough start and it will progress as it goes on," saidthe Liverpool defender .
"In Gerard's first season we finished seventh and in Rafa's first season we finished fifth, lower than the manager before them.
"When a new manager comes in, everything changes. It is a work in progress and hopefully, steadily, over the course of the season we will improve.
"First seasons are very fickle. There aren't players there from the last regime but under a new manager there are big changes and you have to give him time to change things around and put his influence on the team."