Hansen brands Liverpool's players a 'disgrace' after Blackpool defeat

Anfield legend Alan Hansen has condemned Liverpool’s players for showing a complete lack of character during the club’s dramatic collapse this season.

The former Reds defender couldn’t believe what he saw on Sunday as Roy Hodgson’s side stumbled to a desperately disappointing defeat against Blackpool, and he believes the players have to take responsibility.

Already, new boss Hodgson has come under some intense fire, with fans showing their unrest by booing the side from the field during the last three games at Anfield.

The manager has taken the brunt of the criticism, and fans have also made clear their intense anger and frustration at Liverpool’s American owners, who have piled massive debt on the club.

But Hansen is adamant that despite all the outside influences, and all the mistakes made in recent times, the players themselves must show far more fight after getting themselves into a massive mess.

The Reds are currently anchored in the bottom three with Hodgson admitting such a position means a relegation scrap is the immediate scenario.

And the Scottish defender, who is now a Match of the Day pundit, said on that show on Sunday evening that the lack of spirit shown by the players in their current position was a “disgrace”.

“Forget about history and tradition, forget about the owners, forget about the manager – that defeat against Blackpool is all about the players,” Hansen said.

“If that performance had come when they were at the top of the league it would have been terrible, but to come when they were in the bottom three, it’s a disgrace.”

Hodgson admitted that he has a massive job on his hands trying to get a more consistent performance from his players, who have only performed for short spells during recent matches.

And the players themselves accept that things are simply not good enough, with striker Dirk Kuyt making a heart-felt apology to the fans for the shocking display against Blackpool.

“It was really, really disappointing. It’s probably one of the hardest defeats I’ve had to take since I’ve been here and we’re sorry for the fans,” Kuyt said.

“The first thing we have got to do is make sure we start winning games again and then we can begin to take things from there.”

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