Source: Daily_Mail
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres backs underfire Roy Hodgson
Fernando Torres has thrown hisweight behind RoyHodgson's troubledAnfield reign andinsisted the entire Liverpoolsquad are backing theirunder-fire manager. [LNB]The striker spoke out on the eve oftoday's critical home game withWest Ham and denied suggestions ofa dressing-room split.[LNB]Reacting to claims that elementsof Liverpool's foreign contingent hadalready lost faith in Hodgson, andthat they felt Benitez should havebeen kept on, Torres delivered aringing endorsement of the formerFulham boss. [LNB] Here we come: Torres believes Liverpool have turned a corner[LNB]'The squad here trusts in Hodgsonand so do I,' Torres told a Spanishradio station. [LNB]'It is not simple tobegin a project with a different coachin a club where it is required to fightfor every competition. You have toadapt to new ways to create awinning team and that is never easy. [LNB]'The team are reacting. Not everythinghas gone as well as we hoped,but if we can put three wins togetherin a row then the team will be at theright end of the table and we will bemore relaxed and play better.[LNB][LNB]Underfire: Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson[LNB]'I have no problem with Hodgson.He's a very serious coach who in thesummer explained to me very clearlywhat he wanted from me. He hasalways trusted in me and that's veryimportant for any footballer. [LNB]'Although he was here a long time,the (Rafa) Benitez phase atLiverpool is already history. Itbelongs to the past and now only thepresent is important to us. [LNB]'For us, football is the only thing wecan think about at the moment. Weare not as high in the table as wewant to be. [LNB]'So we need to put spacebetween ourselves and the others.I'm sure we'll do that and then wecan start to look up.' [LNB]West Ham midfielder Scott Parker is rated a major doubt for the Anfield clashwith a chest infection, though his possibleabsence is more than countered by thestart of a month-long lay-off for Steven Gerrard following hishamstring tear in England'smidweek defeat by France. [LNB]Though Hodgson admitted beingangry at an injury that happened 25minutes after Gerrard was supposedto have been withdrawn, he revealedhow his skipper had defused a potentialrow between club and country. [LNB]Such was the initial fury withinAnfield that their head of fitness andconditioning, Darren Burgess,tweeted that Gerrard's treatmentwas 'absolutely disgraceful'. [LNB]But Hodgson said: 'My thoughts on Steven are that I'm frustratedand disappointed to lose such a goodplayer for a long period of time aftera friendly.[LNB] Cruel blow: Steven Gerrard will miss the next four weeks after picking up a hamstring injury playing for England[LNB]'Anything other than 'I'mdisappointed and a bit angry' wouldbe dishonest. [LNB]'But when I spoke toSteven this morning he was at painsto say to me, 'Don't prolong thisdebate. I know how you feel, butplease say as little as you can and beas diplomatic as you can'. [LNB]'He feels like me that it's a sadthing to have happened, and he'svery disappointed about it, but hedoesn't want to give even morereasons for a debate to rage.' [LNB]Hodgson said Gerrard would notbe rushed back from injury.[LNB] Under-pressure Grant praying West Ham can break 47-year Anfield hoodoo Redknapp hails 'top' Kranjcar - but won't stand in way of Croat's Spurs exitRoy Hodgson rages at losing Steven Gerrard for a month (and Liverpool boss is still waiting for Fabio Capello's call)[LNB] Explore more:People: Roy Hodgson, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard Places: Liverpool, United Kingdom, France
