Hodgson: I Am To Be Blamed For Loss

Roy Hodgson today reflected on Liverpool's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Blackpool and admitted: ''I'm the one responsible because I'm the team manager.''
The Reds boss was hugely disappointed with his side's first- half showing against the Tangerines and accepted he would come under criticism for a third league defeat in seven matches. Hodgson told his post-match press conference: ''It's a bad result and a very bad day. There's nothing more I can say. I can tell by the mood in here (press room), that you understand how bad it is for us. ''We were very anxious to get back on track, to get the three points and lift ourselves up the table. No words or anything I can say can change that situation or make it better. ''It's pointless to try and be positive and say the second half was better and we could have got an equaliser because we lost the game - a game we did not want to lose.''
He added: ''The fans are entitled to take out their frustrations, lots of things have happened to frustrate them and I'm the one responsible because I'm the team manager. When the team does badly criticism will fall my way and I have to accept it.'' The Reds made a sluggish start to the proceedings and went in trailing to goals from Charlie Adam (penalty) and Luke Varney. Sotirios Kyrgiakos did pull one back for Liverpool as they produced an improved second- half showing, leaving the boss to lament their slow start. ''I suppose I'm in a situation where I'd rather not think about the game,''he admitted. ''I suppose in the first half we were correctly punished for a lacklustre play. We had the ball as much as them, but we didn't do anywhere near enough to satisfy my demands, the club's demands or the players' demands on themselves. ''We conceded two goals from counter attack when we were high up the field and lost the ball on the edge of the area. We found ourselves 2-0 down against a team that played well in the first-half. ''In the second half we came out and did our best to turn it around but we only managed to get the one goal. ''I don't know whether the early injury blow of losing Fernando Torres had a psychological effect, but I don't think so. We knew they were an offensive team but if we dealt with their balls forward there would be chances for us to get them turned around and that's what happened in the second period.'' Asked about the Reds' current position in the bottom three, he said: ''My concerns are about making us play to our full potential. We are only doing it in periods and not from the first to the 90th minute. ''I don't think it's because the players have not got the right attitude at the start of the game - I don't believe that. But at the start of games we are not at the level of intensity that we are in the second half of matches. We shouldn't need to go behind before we get the type of reaction we had.''