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Cole admits poor form and rallies behind Hodgson

Joe Cole has been ineffectual at Liverpool © Getty Images

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Joe Cole has admitted his performances for the club have been below par but stressed that everyone at Liverpool is behind Roy Hodgson.

Cole joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Chelsea during the summer but, along with Fernando Torres, he has faced criticism over his form in recent weeks.

The 2-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday leaves Liverpool level with Wolves and West Ham at the foot of the table, and Cole accepts that he needs to up his game.

"We are not playing well, I'm not playing well but I know I'm at a club that is going to help me through it," he told the club's official website. "I know that and I expect better from myself.

"It's disappointing to lose such a big game but, in these situations, the worst thing you can do is start pointing fingers at each other. We have got to look at ourselves.

"I'll just try and do what I can do to get back to it. I need to find my form somehow. I'm sure I will and it will come soon.

"We have had a tough start and a bad start with results. We can't do anything about that now. We are where we are and we have got to change it. We have got to dig deep.

"There are characters here. I'm looking at myself - nobody else. I need to do a lot better for the club. Every minute of every day I'm thinking about how I can get there again. I'm desperate to do well for Liverpool. I've never had a period like this before and it is all new territory for me, but it is a challenge and life is never easy."

New England Sports Ventures have already backed Hodgson following Friday's takeover, and Cole insists the players do not have an issue with the manager.

"The right thing to do is just try and grind out the first win and then take it from there," he said. "We are right behind the manager. We all believe in the team and in the club.

"We have just got to stick together. We are doing a lot of things right but we have just got to concentrate on cutting out the wrong things."

On the NESV takeover, Cole added: "It's encouraging now that the club has got a direction to go in. We are happy with that. The thing is to keep going and keep our heads. We have got to do better, everyone at the club."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.