Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is set to spring a surprise and name a
relatively strong squad for tomorrow's final Europa League clash at
home to Utrecht, despite having already qualified as Group K winners.
- Liverpool v Utrecht LIVE from 8.05pm
Goalkeeper Jose Reina will start while forwards Fernando Torres and
Dirk Kuyt and defender Glen Johnson are all likely to feature.
Captain Steven Gerrard has still not recovered from a hamstring
injury sustained on England duty last month and remains a doubt for
Saturday's Barclays Premier League visit of Fulham.
Striker David Ngog is unlikely to be risked after sustaining a cut
to his face in the defeat to Newcastle while left-back Paul Konchesky
rests a minor knock.
Meanwhile, Hodgson does not fear for his job and is confident
owners New England Sports Ventures will back him as he tries to
turnaround the club's recent decline.
The 63-year-old has been under almost constant scrutiny since
replacing Rafael Benitez in July as early results left the Reds in the
Premier League's bottom three for several weeks.
Things have picked up in recent weeks but Saturday's defeat at
Newcastle did not help.
In a fans' phone-in on Monday night principal owner John Henry
describing results as "unacceptable" and that was interpreted by some
as a thinly-veiled warning to the manager.
However, Hodgson said he was in total agreement with Henry's
assessment but was not concerned about his future and was confident the
situation would improve, given time and the necessary investment.
"I don't have any fears, worries or concerns," he said.
"But if you put it to me 'You feel there is no chance whatsoever of
you getting sacked' then I would be in a minority of one in that
respect.
"It happened to Chris Hughton, it happened to Sam Allardyce, Martin
O'Neill resigned - we are all in that situation. But as someone who
prides himself as a professional, who knows his job and is comfortable
with doing his job, then you would excuse me for not going down the
route you want me to go down in terms of 'Who can we get rid of next?'.
"Because basically speaking unless there is a major inflow of cash
into the club and the team is going to be changed from one moment to
the next then whoever takes my place will be doing a similar job with
similar players.
"The owners have made it perfectly clear they are in it for the
long term and they are going to be patient; they realise it is going to
take time.
"They realise we can't turn things around overnight and they also
realise that the team I am working with is not the team I put together.
"You don't turn things around overnight and they are aware of the
magnitude of the task but they are very focused on what needs to be
done and I am convinced they will help me get it done."
Hodgson, speaking at a press conference ahead of the Utrecht clash,
was quizzed at length about his position at the club.
He became increasingly frustrated at the line of questioning, although
he accepted it was something he had become used to during his short
time at the club.
"Once again I come here to do a European press conference, playing
Utrecht when we are top of the table, and I find myself answering
questions about owners and whether I am safe - it is a sad situation,"
he added.
"I came here to do a European press conference, which I am forced
to do for UEFA, when really and truly I am doing a phone-in with you
"That is the nature of the game, it seems to be the major preoccupation of the mass media because they want to see change.
"It doesn't bother me because I can't do more than I am doing, I
can't work harder, I can't work better. I have great confidence in my
ability, I don't think there is any reason not to have.
"I know the players are working as hard as they can to win matches
for Liverpool and therefore me as manager. But if you have situations
like last night when you have phone-ins to the owners you don't have to
be a rocket scientist to know how that is going to go because we are
not top of the league.
"Had we been top of the league it might have been different but we
are not, we are ninth and we are Liverpool Football Club. You don't
have to be Albert Einstein to work out more people will be unhappy with
that than are happy with it."
Source: DSG