Source: Team_Talk
Hodgson wants more of the same
iverpool manager Roy Hodgson believes a new benchmark has been set for the players and he now expects them to maintain that standard.[LNB] For the first 70 minutes of the 2-1 win against Blackburn yesterday the team looked like one not dissimilar to their more successful predecessors.[LNB]Hodgson is keen for them to match the achievements of "the Liverpool of yore" but knows there is plenty of work still to do.[LNB]Confidence has been boosted after only their second Premier League victory of the season and the manager believes things are starting to finally knit together after a difficult start to the campaign that has left them 18th in the table.[LNB]"I don't think we can play a lot better than we did against Blackburn," said the manager.[LNB]"With the team we have at the moment, if people expect us to really play a lot better football than we did for 70 minutes at the start of the Blackburn game they are going to be asking a lot.[LNB]"What could happen is we could get a lot more goals for that performance but I don't think we could play better.[LNB]"We conceded next to no goal chances, we pressurised the ball and won it back quickly, our passing and movement was good and it was only good goalkeeping, some goal-line saves and a few blocks which made the difference.[LNB]"It could have been a clear victory so I suppose for me it is much more a case of wanting the team to continue along these lines and, most importantly, continue to battle because we are in a battling situation.[LNB]"We are still closer to the relegation zone than we are to the top of the table and if we get beat next week at Bolton we are suddenly back to square one again.[LNB]"There is nothing to do other than keep working at it.[LNB]"We need to show a bit of humility and accept if we are not the Liverpool of yore we will try to become it."[LNB]Hodgson's reign has been played out against the backdrop of off-field ownership issues.[LNB]Now they have been concluded after New England Sports Ventures £300million takeover the hope is that a period of stability and growth with follow.[LNB]Hodgson, whose position has come under scrutiny after such a poor start to the season, hopes the new owners will back him in the transfer window while he continues to try to get the best out of the squad he inherited when he took over from Rafael Benitez on July 1.[LNB]Asked whether he had under-estimated the job ahead of him when he moved from Fulham, Hodgson replied: "I knew that everything was not as it should be, not least of all because of the worries hanging over the club in terms of who was going to own it and whether there would be money for new players and to re-invest.[LNB]"I also knew there were doubts about the size and the quality of the squad - but you don't know if those doubts were correct until you come in and start working with the players.[LNB]"I came with my eyes open but I did come in knowing the expectations on us could be greater than what we are capable of achieving, immediately.[LNB]"The only way I thought that could be dealt with was by working on the field of play, making sure we are organised and know what we are doing and every player knows his job."
