Hodgson remains calm ahead of Rovers game
October 22, 2010
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson insists reports of the club's demise have been greatly exaggerated and they are "far from dead''. PA Photos Roy Hodgson: Faces a crucial game at the weekend
A woeful start to their Premier League campaign has left them mired in 19th place and they could face the ignominy of starting Sunday's home game against Blackburn bottom of the table.
Having dismissed rumours speculating he was considering resigning because oftheir poor form Hodgson remains confident that with new ownership - New EnglandSports Ventures completed their £300 million takeover a week ago - the corner cannow be turned.
"We showed we are far from dead as a club by going to Naples and doing well aswe have in other Europa League games,'' he said after a weakened team returnedhome with a valuable point thanks to a 0-0 draw in a hostile atmosphere at theStadio San Paolo. "We are going through a very bad passage at the moment and things have notgone our way for a variety of reasons.
"We are down at the bottom and desperately want to get away from there. But the new owners have done a lot for the club, they've given the club alift and they did that before the Everton game (which Liverpool lost lastSunday).
"There was a certain buoyancy and a feelgood feeling and we can start torebuild, put things right and get ourselves on a good footing once again. Of course Sunday is the ideal opportunity to do this. Unfortunately Blackburn will have something to say about that. They won't belying down.''
Hodgson can at least take heart from the performance of a team shorn of StevenGerrard, Fernando Torres, Raul Meireles and Lucas Leiva - who were all rested -and Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger, unfit and unwell respectively.
It gave the likes of 18-year-old Jonjo Shelvey to start his first competitivegame for the Reds while Jay Spearing, 21, got another run out in midfield.
"We have to be satisfied with that result and perhaps more satisfied with agood performance which got a result we deserved,'' added the Reds boss, who hadan unsuccessful spell in charge of Blackburn between 1997 and 1998.
"If your squad is any good then your players will be able to step up to theplate and that was definitely the case last night as they stepped up to theplate and dealt with it - even Jonjo Shelvey, starting for the first time.
"We did it in a very tough atmosphere because Napoli is a very tough place tocome and play at any time - it doesn't matter whether you are Inter Milan,Juventus or Liverpool.
"I know all the players who will get a chance to play on Sunday will bechomping at the bit to get out there and run and work and fight. Last night had nothing to do with that but the good thing is I haven't forcedsome players to play three matches in a week, which could quite easily haveprejudiced our chances of finding the intensity I am looking for."What I am hoping for is a little bit luck so the result (against Blackburn)goes our way whether we play well or play badly.
"That will give ourselves a bit of breathing space in order to startrebuilding and trying to move up the table rather than finding ourselvesmarooned.''
原来这条水只介意运气而已,根本就不在乎Liverpool的实力...原来Liverpool能不能降级是要靠运气的,没有实力可言 | 
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发表于 22-10-2010 01:35 PM
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