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Hodgson makes Reds apology
Liverpool boss accepts responsibility for exit
Last updated: 24th September 2010
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Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson apologised to the club's fans after their shock Carling Cup exit at the hands of Northampton.
Hodgson conceded he and the players had to accept responsibility for the defeat as Liverpool saw one of their biggest chances of silverware this season go up in smoke.
Hodgson fielded an under-strength side which still included first-team regulars like Daniel Agger, David Ngog, Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva and went ahead when Milan Jovanovic scored his first goal for the club in the ninth minute.
However, the Cobblers hit back 10 minutes into the second half through Billy McKay and Michael Jacobs' goal in extra-time appeared to have done enough until Ngog spared Liverpool's blushes four minutes from the end.
But it was only a temporary reprieve as Ngog and Nathan Eccleston missed their spot-kicks, allowing Abdul Osman to net the decisive penalty.
"I don't think we came anywhere near what I hoped to see apart from in the last 15 minutes of extra-time when we made a superb effort after going 2-1 down," he said.
"When it goes to penalties and you are at home and in front of the Kop your hope is that at least the players will have the composure and confidence to win the penalty shoot-out but we didn't.
Apology
"All I can do is congratulate Northampton and apologise to everyone; the fans came expecting to see us win and I expected us to win but it wasn't to be.
"These players have to accept responsibility. I accept responsibility for changing a lot of players in the team, I did it because I honestly thought the players I put on the field were good enough to win the game and they weren't.
"The obvious conclusion to that was I shouldn't have changed that many players but we should have been strong enough to get a result.
"We must all take our responsibility. I am just bitterly disappointed that the team I had so much faith in did not repay that faith this evening with the exception of one or two performances."
Hodgson has endured a mixed start to his reign as Liverpool manager after taking over from Rafa Benitez in July.
The Reds have registered just one victory in five domestic games and are 16th in the Premier League table ahead of this weekend's clash with Sunderland.
Setback
Hodgson accepted their Carling Cup exit was another setback.
"We wanted to do well in the Carling Cup and we haven't done," added Hodgson.
"We were given a kind draw against a team three leagues below us, were expected to win and when you don't you can expect to be criticised from the top downwards.
"It is a major setback for the club. The Carling Cup is a competition we are capable of doing well in and we were playing lower league opponents.
"Whatever happens, if it doesn't result in a victory it is a very negative thing and a setback for the club, one of many we are facing at the moment."
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Comments (26)
Yousef Abu khdair says...
I think it is about the right time to change the manager of liverpool fc. Not a single match this season the team was up for it, on contrary, the team lacks balance all over the place especially in the front, torres should be sold and the new manager hopefully will spend the money on buying reliable strikers.
Posted 12:08 23rd September 2010
Steve Hallett says...
I think people whinging at Roy should give him a fair chance. So far in the league we have played 3 of the best teams already in Arsenal, city and utd. A draw against an in form Birmingham wasn''t too bad either. The carling cup was a chance for some fringe players to get a game, and yes they should beat Northampton but the Liverpool team last night while better individualy showed their lack of playing as a team together as opposed to Northampton who were a good team. Wait until 10 to 15 games into the league when Nando is back to fitness and the new players bedded in before whinging.
Posted 12:05 23rd September 2010
Ian Bradshaw says...
As a Blackburn fan I can honestly say this is all looking very familiar. I was shocked when he was given the Liverpool job. He made a real mess at our club and I do not see how one decent season at Fulham gives him the credentials to Manage a club the size of Liverpool?
Posted 11:58 23rd September 2010
Sean Burns (Liverpool fan) says...
Some people here are quite deluded. We''ve got a very good squad that could definitely be challenging for a top 4 finish, but we''ve brought in a mediocre manager who''s never achieved anything except a very good Europa League run with Fulham last season. He left Blackburn bottom of the Premiership when he left them and got sacked by Inter after a poor showing there. True, he''s bought well, the likes of Raul Meirelles and Joe Cole are good signings, while Brad Jones helps with the English quota, but simply he''s not cut out for a good club like Liverpool. For me, the performance against Man Utd shown this. We went out and threw 10 men behind the ball. We need new owners to come in, one''s with sense and bring in a good manager and put money into the club.
Posted 11:38 23rd September 2010
Ryan Sessions says...
I keep hearing that Liverpool fans wanted Rafa out.Personally I could see no sense in replacing a manager who had won notable trophies with one who has won nothing of note. Having said that Roy is the manager now and all the proper fans will support him the same way as they did Rafa. We must give him some time and judge in May if he is good enough.
Posted 11:37 23rd September 2010
Sarfraz Ugradar says...
I am having serious doubts about Roy Hodgson. All he ever tells us is how we are not going to win anything this year. He does not breed confidence in the squad. Benitez would have had a better start to the season that this and considering the team are/were in their honeymoon period with the new manager the start to the season has been pathetic. I''m sorry to say Gerrard and Torres deserve to play in a better team. (and I have been a lifelong fan of Liverpool FC).
Posted 10:11 23rd September 2010
Richard Wallis says...
Weve got in a second rate manager...he''s rated so highly yet has won next to nothing. I wasnt convinced at the start and although im still willing to get behind him and the team with him at the helm we will not succeed. We needed a winner to come in...bad times for the reds
Posted 10:10 23rd September 2010
Craig Oliver says...
I hate the manager blame culture in the Premiership. Hodgson is a good manager with years of experience. Hes inherited a Liverpool team that massively over-achieved last season to finish where they did. Face it, Benitez has ruined you for at least 2 seasons, it takes TIME to build teams, success isnt instant even if you spend 200 mil (city)
Posted 10:07 23rd September 2010
Tom C says...
Roy needs to be given time, back in the 80''s Fergie was getting booed by the fans all the time and they wanted him out. Look what''s happened since. ROy has inherited a squad from Benitez that isn''t very good bar Gerrard, Torres, Reina, and Carra, with a few ''potentially'' good players. Babel has had moer than enough chances to show his worth and has failed on pretty much every occasion. Ngog is slowly getting better but is not good enough yet to be Torres'' back up. Players like Poulsen and Meireles need time to get used to the Premiership pace. Yes we all know we need another qaulity striker, hopefully Cole can provide the link between midfield and Torres, but we do need to give him time to stamp his own mark on the squad and how they play. Fulham started to play very attractvie football under Roy after he was given time to mould the team. It''s not going to happen over night and we need to realise that at this moment in time, we''re not a top four side.
Posted 09:52 23rd September 2010
Big Phil says...
It wouldn''t make the slightest bit of difference who is charge of the club. Roy Hodgson has given the fringe/reserve players the chance to prove they are worth a shot, and they have let us all down badly. Come January when Mr Hodgson tries to sell off some off this dead-wood(Babel,Lucas etc)to try and bring in new players, I think he will be lucky to have £15mil to spend! Add to that the fact that Liverpool may be struggling at the wrong end of the table and out of all competitions, who would want to sign? We have to accept that the next few seasons are going to be far from what we hope for and that we may never be the same again. Maybe it''s time to start over ready for when the bubble bursts and the Premier league bubble bursts(as we have seen in Spain and Italy).
Posted 09:49 23rd September 2010
Scott Stringer says...
All that Liverpool have inherited is a manager. The players are roughly the same and if you want my honest opinion they finished well above the position they should of finished. They have two players (possibly 3 in reina) who could get in to any club in the world and that is Torres and Gerrard. They were injured for best part of last season and look what happened. I thought Torres needed match fitness, well last night would of been perfect to give him a run around. I think you Liverpool fans should realise its not the manager its the players. Mourinho would not be able to go in their and do a better job. Your players are shocking and need to take FULL responsibility. Liverpool cant even get a buyer as I dont think even the richest men in the world like them
Posted 09:01 23rd September 2010
Ed Denyer says...
I was willing to give Hodgson the chance, I was not impressed when he was appointed manager, but like most Liverpool fans I tried to back him. Disappointingly I can no longer get behind him. Dreadful tactics, poor substitutions, poor team selections. We are not a team full of confidence playing well, and can rotate players in and out seamlessly. The players are good enough; they just need to be used correctly. Northampton at Anfield was a great opportunity to give Torres, Gerrard, Cole, Meiriless a real chance to get some goals, play some good football and gain some much needed confidence. Instead we now have one less trophy to play more and a huge amount of pressure on the next game. Hodgson Out Please, before the rot sets in anymore.
Posted 09:00 23rd September 2010
Adam Bowles says...
Another ideal opportunity for silverware gone! Why does everyone disregard this cup? I would have been more than happy with challenging and hopefully getting for a top four finish and having the carling cup as well! Why couldn''t he have put three big guns on for the first half to kill the game then take them off, think 45 mins rest is enough for PROFESSIONAL footballers!!
Posted 08:58 23rd September 2010
Joel C says...
You lot don''t half speak a load of rubbish. Roy has managed across Europe, at International level, and had success whever he has gone with the odd exception. He has been hailed by Football experts (which you are not) as a brilliant coach and tactical genius. Yet you know better from your armchairs. Grow up, be patient and accept it takes time to build a team. You haven''t won the league in decades with any of the managers you have had, why would changing Roy now make a difference? Get behind your team like true supporters and things will change.
Posted 08:58 23rd September 2010
Ryan James says...
The players have to take responsibility, there was more than enough out there to do the job, they just didn''t want it enough, we scored after 9 mins and everyone thought it would be an easy ride. We all know the likes of Jovanovic, Lucas, Ngog are not good enough and there are still question marks about Babel, Jones couldn''t do much about the goals, the rest (apart from Agger) will be on there way before long, there either poor benietez signings or academy players that won''t make the grade. Its a poor night, but I don''t blame Hodson, your not going to risk the likes of Gerrard and Torres and the team he picked should of easily been good enough to win, they let the manager, the club and themselves down.
Posted 08:57 23rd September 2010
Paul Sanderson says...
Leave Hodgson alone, he has picked the team from a squad that he inherited, atleast he now knows what we all know, Lucas, Agger, Babbs are not good enough, Sunderland is a big game already!
Posted 08:55 23rd September 2010
Gareth O''sullivan says...
I cant beleive that Roy did not field a stronger team for last nights game, its possibly the only cup that liverpool have a chance of winning. Why rest players so soon in a season, I can not figure it out, its almost like Rafa in his first season in the FA cup fielding a young team and getting beaten. Message to Roy.... Man U, The Gunners, and Chelsea have the squads to rotate and get results..... YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS LUXURY.
Posted 08:55 23rd September 2010
Dave Burch (Liverpool fan) says...
Absolute disaster in my opinion. This is one competition we should seek to win, as the PL and ECL are unreachable with the current squad. You have to question Hodgson''s appointment now. I was all for giving him a chance, but apart from one result in Europe, the season has been a struggle so far. I mean why Konchesky? Say no more.
Posted 08:47 23rd September 2010
Matt Conway (Reading fan) says...
Well its not looking so great for Liverpool and even worse for the old man Roy. I didn''t think he was the right man for the job although its slightly unfair to draw such harsh judgement as yet considering the squad he''s inherrited, Rafa Benitez sure knew how to waste all your cash. Thanks to that old Roy''s left to pick up the freebies like milan and cole; simply not good enough for a team who want and probably should be challenging the for the title.
Posted 08:00 23rd September 2010
Ian Burns says...
Its Time for hodgson to leave,hes not big enough to take the team to another level..should of picked more team players to gel together.give him 2 more games then sack him if he doesnt win them..players out of postions is useless ..play with wingers.
Posted 07:53 23rd September 2010