Source: PA
Hodgson - No excuses
Roy Hodgson has warned Liverpool that the ongoing uncertainty over the club's ownership will not represent an excuse for failure this season - and urged the Reds' under-performing stars to "take a look in the mirror".
The Merseysiders missed out on a Champions League place as they finished down in seventh place in last season's Barclays Premier League and were left facing a Europa League qualifier against Macedonian minnows FK Rabotnicki, the second leg of which is on Thursday night.
The summer since has seen fevered speculation over the future of co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, which has come to a head in recent days with Chinese businessman Kenny Huang registering an interest - but distancing himself from a formal bid for the club - while former Syria international Yahya Kirdi claims a deal "is in the final stage of negotiation".
Hodgson will not allow the turmoil to distract his team, and said: "As a player you have a chance to change things around here. I won't go down the ownership route other than to say we know the ones we have now are very unpopular. That's well documented - they know it and that's why they are prepared to sell.
"But if you don't think that the team is doing as well as it should, then as a player you can do something about it. We want our big players doing well. If they are not, I shall be advising them to look in the mirror and not to constantly look for excuses elsewhere and blame the owners for not having spent £500million.
"I am sceptical about comments in which players are questioning the club's ambition. I would tend to throw that back at them and say that the club's ambitions rest in your hands, you're the ones playing for us and you're the ones people are paying to watch."
