Roy Hodgson Says There's No Need To Panic

Roy Hodgson believes that there is no reason to panic after Liverpool's 2-0 loss to Stoke at the weekend.

The Reds looked to be putting their difficult start to the season behind them last week when they enjoyed a 2-0 win over league leaders Chelsea.

But they were unable to build on that win in mid-week when they drew 1-1 with Wigan before suffering another loss at the weekend.

But manager Hodgson believes that the loss will not dent the confidence of his players but he admits that they still have some work to do.

Speaking to the club's official website Hodgson said: "I don't see why it should give us enormous reason to doubt what we are doing or doubt what we are capable of doing.

"I don't expect this result to dent confidence any more than any bad result does or any end to a good run dents your confidence.

"We are talking about two or three games in a season. I find it hard to have to explain that every time you win a game things are flying forward and when you get a bad result they are flying backwards.

"I'm a 38-to-55-game-a-season man and I make my judgment over that period.

"I don't get euphoric when we play well against Chelsea and I certainly won't become anything other than realistic and determined to move on to the next step when we lose a game.

"The conclusions that are being attempted to be drawn are too big conclusions. We're realistic. We know we've still got some work to do, get some players back to fitness and work at our game."

This latest defeat sees Liverpool slip down the table a couple of places to eleventh as they remain on sixteen points. But they will be looking to get back to winning ways at the weekend when they face West Ham at Anfield.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw