Hodgson surprised by Anfield spotlight

Hodgson is under pressure after a poor start and has found a lot of his decisions dissected in minute detail by pundits and fans.

Having achieved moderate success at a club with lower expectations in Fulham, Hodgson concedes he had not anticipated the step up in coverage at Anfield.

Hodgson said: “This football club have a lot of players who have played for Liverpool for a long time.

“Every other day they’ve probably read or heard some nonsense about them and they seem to be a pretty hardened bunch.

“I’m relatively hardened but I’ve been spared too much at Fulham, where never a bad word was said.

“It is an interesting thing for me to get into the type of mindset Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard are so good at.

“Having heard and seen it all before they are quite prepared to shrug their shoulders and write it off.

“It is part and parcel of the business of working for Liverpool Football Club. I am beginning to turn it around myself.”

Liverpool remain in the bottom three but last week’s performance and victory over Blackburn has eased the pressure.

Coming soon after the takeover by New England Sports Ventures, the mood at the club is starting to lighten.