Roy Hodgson has spoken ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Liverpool by stating that the reds have lost their fear factor on their away travels.
The reds only managed one away win under Hodgson, and it was the 3-1 defeat away at Blackburn that finally sealed Roy’s fate at Anfield. Since then the reds have beaten Wolves, Chelsea and Sunderland, winning 3 out of 5 away league games.
The former Liverpool manager said:
“They have good players and are a good team.
“We need to win and get points, and the stronger the team you play against the less chance there is of getting those points.
“I can’t say I’m looking forward to it in that respect but, on the other hand, you always look forward to playing the Liverpools, Manchester Uniteds, Arsenals and Chelseas because it shows that you are competing in the best division against the best possible opponents.
“To say I am looking forward to it would be wrong because I have such a lot of respect for the team we’re meeting and I know how good those players can be when they’re on their game.
“Recently, they have had a couple of good results away from home and the fear that they suffered through having gone a long period without an away win has been broken.
“That hoodoo has been broken so I know we face a very dangerous opponent.”
But would Roy be looking for revenge against a club that he has said he ‘never felt wanted’ at?
“It’s another game – but it means a lot because we only have eight games left and every game means a lot.
“I don’t have any feelings of revenge or proving anything.
“I don’t think I need to prove points.
“If there are people out there who think I need to prove a point then I suggest they look at what I’ve done in 36 years.
“I’m more concerned with having that behind me than having debates about six months at a club.
“For me, it’s six months in a 36-year career – and I don’t have any worries about that.
“I live in the present and the future.
“What happened at Liverpool is in the past.
“It happened.
“The people that are there know the work I did and the satisfaction I’ll get, if any, is that the people that were there are fully respectful of the job I did, and realise that it was circumstances more than any lack of competence which prompted the owners to change the manager.”
“Things never go well for you if you lose your job.
“I never had any fears the people with whom I was working had no respect for the work I was doing.
“But it’s nice to hear them say it publicly, which is not always the case.
“I know those things privately – but it’s nice it’s also mentioned publicly from time to time.”
The last time Roy managed a club against Liverpool at their own ground he ran out 3-1 winners with Fulham in October 2009.
