Ex-Fulham boss reckons his side is still in a transitional phase
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has called on fans of the club to remain patient with regard to getting the right results, following a slow start to the season.
The Reds had a terrible season last time out, crashing out of the Champions League, FA Cup and the League Cup at an early stage, as manager Rafael Benitez eventually parted ways with the Merseyside club.
And Hodgson, fresh from guiding Fulham to the final of the Europa League, was appointed as the Spaniard's successor.
However, results have not changed significantly, as the club have won only one, drawn two, and lost one, from their four league games thus far. And if 3-0 loss to Manchester City was seen as a reflection of the latter's spending power, the goalless draw with Birmingham City saw the team receiving a fair amount of criticism.
Now the former Inter manager has called on the club's fans to remain patient as the players adapt to playing under his care, following six years under Benitez.
"The style of play will get better, but it's true Birmingham was not one of our better games," Hodgson said, according to The Mirror.
""But the style of play wasn't a problem against Arsenal and that was the same style we played against Birmingham, it's just that we have a lot of new players playing in the team, and that's what the start of the season is the start of the season. A new beginning is a new beginning.
"I don't know how long it will take before to mould this team into the style and philosophy I want, and to be honest, there is no answer. There's no point me trying to answer a question for which there is no answer.
"I came from a team where I had been for two-and-a-half years with the same team, same players and same ideas and same philosophy. Now I am at a team where I am trying to put a team together and put together a philosophy.
"Everything is new all the time and every training session and match is a learning curve and I will learn from those things. I have a very good, receptive group of players with talent. All of these games are important steps towards becoming a better team."
As Hodgson continues to understand his players better and vice versa, he insists that he will follow what Sir Alex Ferguson did with Manchester United recently.
The 68-year-old made 10 changes to his line-up - retaining only Darren Fletcher - for the Champions League tie against Rangers, which ended in a goalless draw as criticism concerning team selection poured on the Red Devils' manager.
"What we will do is pretty much what Sir Alex did yesterday," he said. "We will look at the squad, look at who is fit and raring to go in the game and players who you think can possibly win the game, and we will put that team on the field.
"If there are changes and the team doesn't do well everyone will turn round and say you shouldn't have done it, you should have played the same 11. But if you play the same 11 and lose then people will say what an idiot.
"I don't take any of those things into consideration whatsoever. I look at the squad and see how it can best be used and at all teams see which team stands a chance of winning, and I have to be honest, I can't get my head round why people still don't understand that."
