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Hodgson slams Liverpool players and fans

Fernando Torres was one of the Liverpool players who did not hit form against Wolves © PA Photos

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Roy Hodgson has launched a scathing attack on his players following Liverpool's shock home defeat to Wolves and has also urged the club's fans to rally behind the team.

The Reds had seen the teams around them pull away after their game at Blackpool was called off on account of the weather and Hodgson expected his side to fly out of the blocks. However, they failed to truly get to grips with Wolves and were stunned when Stephen Ward prodded a shot past Pepe Reina to claim the points.

The boos rang round Anfield after the game, with anger vented the way of Hodgson, and he can understand the fans' frustrations and feels the players need to shoulder the responsibility.

"We came here tonight really hoping that after not playing for a while we would get out and give a great performance, fly around the field and play well - but in fact we did just the opposite," Hodgson said. "It was probably as bad a team performance as we've given, certainly here at Anfield, and to compound the problems we gave them a goal as well, so we don't have a disappointing nil-nil, we have an even more disappointing 0-1.

"Credit to Wolves, they did well. Their game plan was good, they stuck at it and they were very physical in a lot of challenges all over the field, and I don't think we had the tempo or intensity in our game to be able to say we deserved anything more than what we got.

"It's a sad way to end 2010 and a sad first game after three weeks in front of our own supporters, who we were desperate to show we can move up the table and we've let them down.

"They made that perfectly clear to us and I can only empathise with them - if I was a supporter I would be extremely disappointed as well with that performance, as are all the players."

Despite having sympathy for the fans, Hodgson feels the supporters should be putting their weight behind the team.

"I'm getting used to it, that's the way it is," he said of the negativity during and after the game. "We've had to live with that quite a long time now as ever since I came here the famous Anfield support has not really been there.

"I don't like hearing those things of course because I want to do the best job I can do, I'm working as hard as I can, so I can't say it's something I really appreciate but at the same time I am not in control of those things and it's the Kop's way, the Anfield way, of showing that they are not happy at the moment with what the team is doing.

"As the manager, you take responsibility for that, so I have to take that criticism on the chin as well."

Hodgson has reiterated his calls for the club to back him in the transfer market, as he feels Liverpool are lacking quality.

He said: "All I can say is I think it's time for people to really try to help us along because it's not through want of trying that we're not winning matches or didn't win tonight's game, it's because, I'm afraid, we lacked a little bit of quality and lacked a little bit of confidence. "The negativity does affect confidence because players are a little bit anxious to get on the ball and do what they can do for fear they're going to make a mistake."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.