Roy Hodgson hails best Liverpool performance of the season (after crushing derby defeat in front of new owners)
By JOHN EDWARDS
Last updated at 9:15 AM on 18th October 2010
Defensive: Reds boss Hodgson
Roy Hodgson left himself open to ridicule by describing Liverpool's dispiriting 2-0 derby defeat to Everton at Goodison Park as 'our best performance of the season'.
The former Fulham boss delivered his bizarre claim after making the worst start to a Liverpool managerial career - one win and three draws from eight games - since George Patterson in 1928.
Liverpool's new American owners John W Henry and Tom Werner watched from the stands after originally saying they would wait for a home match.
But only goal difference keeps them above bottom club West Ham in the Barclays Premier League.
Hodgson insisted: 'That was as good as we have played all season, and I have no qualms with the performance whatsoever. I only hope fair-minded people will see it the same way.
'It's just unfortunate that such a good game of football, a real credit to the Premier League, will revolve round the fact that Liverpool did not win.
'It was a sterling effort by the players, especially after Everton's second goal went in. Pressure builds up, of course, but we will cope with that.'
Second best: Arteta scores Everton's second in the derby
Liverpool have endured their worst start to a season since 1953-54, when they were relegated, and they remain rooted at the lower reaches of the table.
Hodgson, asked if the top four was out of reach, added: 'There are 30 games to go, 90 points to play for, so we'd have to start doing something special I suppose.
TODAY'S POLL
Are Liverpool's new owners right to stick with Roy Hodgson?
No
Yes
VOTE
All polls
'But I don't know I would write that off necessarily.
'What it would take is a really good run on the spin but I thought there were signs in the game today that the quality of football was there.
'Who knows, we could get those four or five wins on the spin - that is what it is going to take.'
Liverpool have now not won in six matches in all competitions and Hodgson admitted, with only one league victory this season, the pressure was mounting.
'We have taken six points from eight games and every game we don't win the pressure builds even more and that will affect people's confidence in the long run,' he said.
'The pressure mounts but I'm not trying to use that as an excuse.'
A right spectacle: Everton chairman Bill Kenwright talks to new Liverpool supremo John W Henry (left)
Liverpool were watched by new owner Henry, whose New England Sports Ventures completed a £300million buy-out this week.
Unfortunately the players could not match the performance of their legal team, who successfully prevented former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett blocking the sale.
Mersey-pride: Gerrard (left) and Carragher rue derby defeat
'The dream was we would come here on the back of new owners and win the game but there is no point in attempting to analyse dreams,' Hodgson said.
'This would have been the ideal opportunity to turn things around on the back of the positive entry of the new owners and to get a result here would have been Utopia.'
Everton manager David Moyes was delighted just to end a run of three successive league derby defeats.
'The smile's not come off my face. It's been a long time. I'm really disappointed I've not been able to win more derbies,' he said.
'We play against a really good football club but it's not been because of a lack of effort.
'In the past we've probably lacked the quality to match Liverpool. I don't think we do now.
'We've got players of real quality who could play for the big clubs.
'Whoever scored the first goal was going to be really important and I think we always looked more likely in the first 20-25 minutes.
'I was delighted to get in front because both teams have not been scoring that freely.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz12ibnvL6o
By JOHN EDWARDS
Last updated at 9:15 AM on 18th October 2010
Defensive: Reds boss Hodgson
Roy Hodgson left himself open to ridicule by describing Liverpool's dispiriting 2-0 derby defeat to Everton at Goodison Park as 'our best performance of the season'.
The former Fulham boss delivered his bizarre claim after making the worst start to a Liverpool managerial career - one win and three draws from eight games - since George Patterson in 1928.
Liverpool's new American owners John W Henry and Tom Werner watched from the stands after originally saying they would wait for a home match.
But only goal difference keeps them above bottom club West Ham in the Barclays Premier League.
Hodgson insisted: 'That was as good as we have played all season, and I have no qualms with the performance whatsoever. I only hope fair-minded people will see it the same way.
'It's just unfortunate that such a good game of football, a real credit to the Premier League, will revolve round the fact that Liverpool did not win.
'It was a sterling effort by the players, especially after Everton's second goal went in. Pressure builds up, of course, but we will cope with that.'
Second best: Arteta scores Everton's second in the derby
Liverpool have endured their worst start to a season since 1953-54, when they were relegated, and they remain rooted at the lower reaches of the table.
Hodgson, asked if the top four was out of reach, added: 'There are 30 games to go, 90 points to play for, so we'd have to start doing something special I suppose.
TODAY'S POLL
Are Liverpool's new owners right to stick with Roy Hodgson?
No
Yes
VOTE
All polls
'But I don't know I would write that off necessarily.
'What it would take is a really good run on the spin but I thought there were signs in the game today that the quality of football was there.
'Who knows, we could get those four or five wins on the spin - that is what it is going to take.'
Liverpool have now not won in six matches in all competitions and Hodgson admitted, with only one league victory this season, the pressure was mounting.
'We have taken six points from eight games and every game we don't win the pressure builds even more and that will affect people's confidence in the long run,' he said.
'The pressure mounts but I'm not trying to use that as an excuse.'
A right spectacle: Everton chairman Bill Kenwright talks to new Liverpool supremo John W Henry (left)
Liverpool were watched by new owner Henry, whose New England Sports Ventures completed a £300million buy-out this week.
Unfortunately the players could not match the performance of their legal team, who successfully prevented former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett blocking the sale.
Mersey-pride: Gerrard (left) and Carragher rue derby defeat
'The dream was we would come here on the back of new owners and win the game but there is no point in attempting to analyse dreams,' Hodgson said.
'This would have been the ideal opportunity to turn things around on the back of the positive entry of the new owners and to get a result here would have been Utopia.'
Everton manager David Moyes was delighted just to end a run of three successive league derby defeats.
'The smile's not come off my face. It's been a long time. I'm really disappointed I've not been able to win more derbies,' he said.
'We play against a really good football club but it's not been because of a lack of effort.
'In the past we've probably lacked the quality to match Liverpool. I don't think we do now.
'We've got players of real quality who could play for the big clubs.
'Whoever scored the first goal was going to be really important and I think we always looked more likely in the first 20-25 minutes.
'I was delighted to get in front because both teams have not been scoring that freely.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz12ibnvL6o
Comment