Hodgson: I haven't become a bad manager overnight

Roy Hodgson insists he is up to the task of turning around Liverpool’s nightmare start to the season.

The Anfield manager - only in the job for 98 days - has watched in horror as his side have gone into freefall, and are currently marooned in the bottom three of the Premier League.

Already, questions are being asked about his position just seven league games into his reign, with disillusioned fans making clear their frustration by chanting for a sentimental return by Kop idol Kenny Dalglish.

But a defiant Hodgson remains convinced in his abilities, and he argued that he has the experience required to navigate the club back towards the top.

Hodgson said: “I don’t think that people should even be asking whether I can turn things around or not.

“I know that’s the nature of football, and it is a question that is going to be asked in this position, but people who have been in football for a long time know that in this game you have good moments and you have bad moments, and they wouldn’t ask the question.

“Of course I believe we will turn it around. I don’t think you go from being as feted as I was in May to suddenly losing any abilities I have three months later.

“That’s the way of football. At the end of May I was having fantastic moments and at the end of September I’m having bad moments, but I don’t think that after 35 years of coaching I’ve suddenly lost the abilities that have served me so well.

“I trust in my ability, and I trust in the players we have here to get it right. We don’t want to make excuses for what has happened, because fans are hurting and they don’t want to hear words.

“But we will not hide from what is needed. There is a lot of work to do, there are a lot of things to sort out, there is a lot of rebuilding required here at Anfield that will not happen overnight, and we will work hard to put it right.”

Hodgson accepts that he has made mistakes in his early days at Anfield, and he has not enjoyed an instant rapport with the Liverpool fans after arriving from Fulham.

But the experienced manager has argued from the start that it will take him several transfer windows to transform the squad he inherited, and mould them into the type of team he wants.

The former Inter Milan boss suggested a fortnight ago that his squad is carrying too many players who are simply not good enough to challenge for a first team place, and he is keen to offload to bring in the finances to make much-needed signings.

But in the meantime, he must work with the players he’s got, and he says that they will respond to improve on a disastrous league campaign so far.

He said: “We have to trust in the players we have here to get it right because until January we can not bring in any more players.

“We did what we could with the players we have available at the moment. We are a little bit short of front players at the moment, and we are struggling because of that.

“At the moment things look bleak because they are conditioned by our most recent results, which have been very, very bad. But we have had some better results too, and we have to build on that, and work hard to improve the situation. That is what we will do.”

Hodgson remained unruffled by the chants for Dalglish at the game on Sunday, even though he knows the Reds legend’s presence in the directors’ box acts as a constant reminder to the fans.

The Liverpool manager is ready to keep fighting to win over supporters, despite the sense of crisis that is gripping the club.

“Is it unfair the fans sang for Kenny Dalglish? What’s fair and unfair? There is no fairness. The fans are frustrated at the moment - there are a lot of things happening, and it’s understandable they are frustrated,” he said.

“But with 31 games left to play I am absolutely convinced that Liverpool will not be in this position at the end of the season.

“Whether we can fulfil our ambition of finishing towards the top is another matter after the start we have, but that is still our aim and we believe we can deliver it.”

Juventus, meanwhile, will attempt to turn Alberto Aquilani’s loan move to Italy into a permanent one - if he continues to impress until January.

The injury-prone Liverpool midfielder returned to Serie A for the season after a nightmare year on Merseyside, despite his massive £20million price tag.

“He started just nine league games for the Reds, and was eventually given the chance to rebuild his reputation in his homeland, when Hodgson farmed him out.

He has started twice for Juventus since the summer switch, and if he stays fit they will consider a £10million permanent deal, which Liverpool would welcome, although Hodgson has dismissed any suggestion of Glen Johnson also going to Juve in January.

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ROY HODGSON AT LIVERPOOL:

July 1 - Appointed to succeed Rafa Benitez as 18th manager of Liverpool.

July 19 - Lands a coup by signing Chelsea and England midfielder Joe Cole to a four-year deal following a free transfer.

August 15 - The Premier League season opens with a straight red card for Cole in first-half stoppage time at home to Arsenal. Liverpool take the lead in the first minute of the second half only for keeper Pepe Reina to throw in a comedy own goal in the dying seconds of a 1-1 draw.

August 23 - The league season starts to look like a problem as Liverpool are outclassed, outgunned and outscored 3-0 by Manchester City.

August 29 - Three points at last as Fernando Torres’ goal midway through the second half is enough to beat West Brom at home.

September 12 - A limp display at St Andrew's sees two more points dropped but, more worryingly, the Reds are made to look weak by a Birmingham side who are first to almost every ball and keep Steven Gerrard and Torres quiet.

September 19 - Defeat at the hands of hated enemy Manchester United means it is now just five points from five games. Worse still for Liverpool fans, Hodgson fails to address post-match comments from Alex Ferguson, who appears to accuse Torres of trying to get John O’Shea sent off.

September 22 - Just when it can’t get any worse, it does. Hodgson fields not only a weakened side in the Carling Cup against League Two Northampton but fails to put any experience on the bench as back-up. The Kop watches in horror as the visitors win a penalty shootout in torrential rain.

September 25 - A controversial Dirk Kuyt goal allowed to stand at home to Sunderland appears to give Hodgson a lucky break but he still needs Gerrard to rescue a point following two Darren Bent goals.

October 3 - A new low sees Liverpool 2-0 down at half time against newly-promoted Blackpool in a game they lose 2-1. After seven games, the Reds have scored just seven goals, have six points, and are third from bottom, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.