Hodgson Dedicates Win To NESV

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson says a first victory in eight matches has lifted some of the pressure at Anfield and believes the 2-1 win over Blackburn will have pleased the club's new owners, New England Sports Ventures (NESV). Hodgson labelled the match against Rovers as a ''must-win'' game and speculation began to grow that the 63-year-old had two fixtures to save himself from the sack. Former Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard was linked with the position, but Hodgson refuses to accept his position may be in jeopardy after the £300 million takeover. "Mass media talk these days says, 'Lose two games and let's sack the coach and start all over again'," he said. "I divorce myself from all of that. It is not something I feel among the players or the staff. "I'm not certain the people here (NESV) have that type of mindset - they are top sportspeople. They took over the Boston Red Sox, who weren't doing very well, and turned them into a champion team." A number of NESV representatives were in the crowd to see the win, although principal owner John W Henry remained in the United States because of illness, and Hodgson thinks the result will have pleased the new boss. ''There were a lot of people here from the organisation here so I'm pretty sure his (Henry's) phone was buzzing and he'll be pretty happy with the performance," he added.