Hodgson is working hard to persuade his disillusioned stars to stay and claims they are unhappy because of Rafa Benitez's disastrous final season in charge.
The Liverpool boss has already spoken to skipper Gerrard and is flying to Madrid for face-to-face talks with Chelsea-target Torres.
Hodgson must also try and sweet talk Mascherano and the midfielder's agent claims the Argentinian wants to be reunited with Benitez at Inter Milan.
"We are working very hard on making certain the players we have at the club, who you would call the 'good players', are going to be with us for next season," said Hodgson.
"The board are working very hard in that area. Some players are a bit disenchanted after what happened last season and we want to make sure we get that enchantment back."
Hodgson has been helped in his battle to hang on to Gerrard by events in Spain and Real Madrid appear to be losing interest in England's World Cup captain after offering £8.5million for German international Sami Khedira.
Real's bid for Stuttgart's World Cup midfielder suggests president Florentino Perez has won his tussle with Jose Mourinho, who had made signing Gerrard one of his priorities.
Perez feels Khedira represents better value and that Gerrard is too old at 30.
While Hodgson may not thank Benitez for the low morale he has inherited from him in the dressing room, he is grateful for his leaving present of Milan Jovanovic.
The Serbia forward, signed on a free from Standard Liege, met his new team-mates for the first time yesterday at their Swiss training camp and Hodgson admits he tracked him at Fulham.
Jovanovic claims he is pleased to be given John Barnes' No 10 shirt and dismissed talk that he had second thoughts about joining when Benitez left last month.
"I chose to sign for Liverpool Football Club, and that's it," he said.
"It's very simple. Liverpool was always my biggest wish and to be here is a great day in my career and in my life.
"Liverpool was my only choice and I'm pleased the negotiations were successful. Now I want to do as well as I can for the club over the next three years."
No comments:
Post a Comment