STUART Pearce has told his Manchester City players to be more "hard nosed" away from home to fire themselves back into European contention.

Pearce believes that his side's shocking form on their travels is all that is keeping them from a serious challenge for a top-six Premiership spot.

City have picked up just one point from six away matches this season, and four points on their travels during the whole of 2006.

And Pearce knows that they must start winning soon, or it could spell trouble.

The last time City went an entire season without a victory on their travels was in 1986-87, when Jimmy Frizzell's Blues were relegated from the old First Division.

But City could hardly face a tougher challenge as they bid to halt the run. Tomorrow they face Liverpool at Anfield, where they have won just once in 25 years.

City have shipped 14 goals away from home in the Premiership this season, scoring just three, and Pearce is adamant that has to change.

He is looking for Georgios Samaras and Bernardo Corradi to fire the goals that ensure City follow up last weekend's 3-1 home win over Fulham.

Consistency

"Consistency away from home is the key," the manager said. "We need to take the chances we create. Of the six games we've had on the road in the league, we've done reasonably well in three of them, and not so well in three others. So we need to make sure we're a little more hard-nosed on the road.

"We feel it's the one thing at the moment that's probably keeping us from the top half of the table.

"We know we're not that far off the European places. We're seven points from third place in the league, so it is extremely tight. And we know that if we win at Liverpool, we go above them."

But City are not the only team struggling on their travels.

The are one of seven - including Liverpool - who still haven't won a Premiership game on the road.

Compare that to this stage of last season, when every Premiership team bar Fulham and West Bromwich Albion had won away at least once by the fourth week of November.

Pearce said: "Maybe teams are just getting stronger at home. Our home form is stronger than our away form, definitely. It's stronger than it was last year.

"We haven't taken our chances. We were beaten at Charlton, where we hit the post a couple of times, and had two cleared off the line.

"We didn't take our chances, and it stopped us winning the match. It was the same at Reading."

Do you think City can force themselves into the European reckoning? Have your say.