Gerrard said: "Middlesbrough is a difficult place to go, but if you want to win the title or be up there then you have to win games like that. We have to be realistic now and a top-four finish is the best we can hope for and we have to get a top-four finish. We have just dropped too many points to consider ourselves realistic title challengers and obviously that is a huge disappointment.
"We have to aim for fourth. That would give us the financial clout that we need for next season. We have got to get into the Champions League to get up and get into the right position for this football club.
"We started the season with real hopes. It has been a real let-down that we are in this position but if you are realistic you have to say it has just not happened on the pitch on a consistent basis."