• Premier League

Hodgson jumps to players' defence

ESPNsoccernet staff
October 17, 2010
Roy Hodgson cut a frustrated figure on the Goodison Park touchline © PA Photos
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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson leapt to the defence of his struggling players, dismissing talk of a crisis despite watching them crash to a fourth Premier League defeat in the opening eight games of the season.

Hodgson's side sit second-bottom of the league table following the 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat, dropping below Wolves on goal difference, but Hodgson tried once again to take some positives out of a display that appeared pretty dismal to the neutral.

"We fell behind to a deflected block which fell kindly for Cahill so I thought at half-time we were a bit unlucky to be a goal down because we had got back into the game well," Hodgson said.

"In the second half we did everything the team could possibly do, we played well, created chances, we limited them to very few and put them on the back foot.''

Star striker Fernando Torres again drew a blank and Hodgson admitted the Spaniard was low on confidence.

"I don't think he is physically unfit, I think he showed that today, he did plenty of work and we don't have any injury problems with him," Hodgson said.

"He got battered during the World Cup and mentally he is probably a bit low and he needs a goal or two to get it back. Certainly today I would have no qualms about his performance.''

Liverpool's position inside the bottom three with a record of one win in eight games is the standout story in the Premier League at present but Hodgson is refusing to panic.

"I don't think it is a crisis, I thought the way we played today was not the level of a team in the bottom three but six points from eight games is a very poor return,'' he said.

"We need to start winning to climb the table and until we do the word 'crisis' will continue to be bandied around.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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