Liverpool Held By Grasshoppers

Roy Hodgson's career as Liverpool manager has kicked off with a goalless draw against Grasshoppers in Switzerland.

The Reds' boss - who saw his side's first scheduled friendly washed out by the rain at the weekend - finally got the chance to see his players in action for the first time and will have been heartened by the displays of his youngsters as they strive to prove they have a future at the club.

With Joe Cole watching from the sidelines, where his every move was followed by photographers, and World Cup duo Milan Jovanovic and Sotirios Kyrgiakos still not considered ready for competitive action, it was an unfamiliar looking Liverpool side which took to the field for Hodgson's first game as boss.
Captained by Lucas, the Reds featured a mixture of first team, reserves and academy players as they looked to put the hard work they have been undergoing during intense double training sessions in Bad Ragaz into practise on the field.
After an uneventful opening in which neither goalkeeper was seriously troubled, Liverpool's first shot in anger arrived after 26 minutes when Alberto Aquilani stung the fingertips of the Grasshoppers goalkeeper with a well-struck free-kick.
With David Ngog lively in attack and well supported by David Amoo, Liverpool - wearing their third strip of all black - were more than a match for their Swiss opponents, despite Grasshoppers having already started their season.
In the stifling Swiss early evening heat, it was the home side who stepped up the pressure as the half wore on, with Lang shooting over from just outside the area before Reds' goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri made an instinctive block from close range to preserve his clean sheet.
Liverpool started the second period on the front foot with Amoo tormenting his defender with a series of sharp bursts, one of which resulted in a shooting chance for Jay Spearing which the young midfielder couldn't keep down.
In defence, the back-line was strong, with Kelly and Ayala working hard to repel any attacks which came their way as the tight tactical unit Hodgson demands of his players very much in evidence.
Spearing took over the captain's armband soon after when a triple substitution saw Lucas, Ngog and Aquilani replaced by new signing Shelvey, Ince and Dalla Valle.
Palsson and Irwin soon followed as Hodgson gave as many of his players an outing as possible - but both sides continued to cancel each other out with chances drying up as the minutes ticked by.
The one remaining opportunity fell to Eccleston, who saw a powerful run to the edge of the box end with a shot wide of the far post.
Ahead of the game Hodgson made no secret of his concern at throwing many of his youngsters into such a competitive match at this early stage of the pre-season - but as he makes his way back to the team hotel in Bad Ragaz this evening he has every reason to be proud of his next generation of Liverpool stars.