Source: PA
Hodgson seeks therapy from big guns
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson will hope to gain some encouragement from his first-team stars when they return to action in the Barclays Premier League against Sunderland.
The 62-year-old has had a testing six days, having seen his side allow a point to slip through their grasp against Manchester United last weekend.
That was then followed by the disastrous midweek Carling Cup exit to League Two side Northampton.
The only consolation he can take from that performance is that none of the players on show at Anfield that night are likely to be on the pitch this time around after he made 11 changes for the knockout tie.
"Basically there are 12 or 13 players, if you take Fabio Aurelio who didn't play against Northampton, and they are the more famous names," he said. "Outside that 13 the ones on the field were the ones we had and I thought it was a good opportunity for them to really show what they could do at Anfield.
"There was not any lack of desire or determination to try to do well but we didn't play well enough in possession of the ball. The fans know we took a risk playing a totally different team and I don't think they will see it any differently to the way I saw it. There is nothing I can say which will make them feel any better."
