Hodgson Is Told Results Must Improve As Owners Target Title Within Five Years

During a 90-minute fans’ phone-in on the club’s official television channel on Monday night, Werner, appointed Liverpool’s chairman this month, insisted the Anfield board “believe in what Roy is doing” but “certainly feel like the performance has to improve”.

More telling, though, was the description of Liverpool’s current standing offered by Henry, the principal backer of the Fenway Sports Group consortium which owns the club.

The defeat at Newcastle, which prompted Hodgson to call an impassioned team meeting on Monday, left his side ninth in the Premier League, nine points adrift of a Champions League place.

“Where we are at this point is not acceptable,” Henry said. “When [FSG talk about] rebuilding the club, we mean building for the top of the table. That is something that is going to be really difficult to do this year and a real challenge for next year.”

Both Henry and Werner were keen to illustrate FSG’s long-term commitment to the club they purchased for £300 million in October, insisting that they saw returning Liverpool to a position to challenge for trophies as a “three to five-year” project. That does not mean, though, that there is either time to waste or room for error.

“We are certainly looking at it as a three to five-year project,” said Henry, who added that Kenny Dalglish would be offered a more substantive role at the club than he currently enjoys as an academy ambassador. “It would not have made sense for us to get involved if we did not think we could win the Premier League in three to five years.

“There has not been a Premier League title here since it was created [in 1992], so that is our largest goal. I do not know if it should be a larger goal than winning in Europe but those are our two main goals. We have to be in a position within three years to do that.

“Over the last two years there have been some short-term decisions that have really hurt. It is up to us to help turn the tide and move on. We have to be patient and have a long-term vision.”

That FSG are determined to shape Liverpool to that vision will not preclude spending in the January transfer window, with Werner admitting they are prepared to take “risks” if they are in the best interests of the club.

Both he and Henry, though, insist they will not repeat the mistakes of the past. If Werner’s assessment that some previous transfer “decisions were focused on nice PR work” was not sufficiently damning, then his partner’s assertion that some Liverpool players could be described as “overpaid” certainly was.

“This is our first transfer window,” said Henry. “There is no doubt that this season and the last half of last season were unacceptable for Liverpool. We are in sync with fans for what it is going to take going forward.”

Comolli Instructs Hodgson To Get Rid Of Five And Swoop For One

Damien Comolli has it appears delivered his latest instruction to Roy Hodgson as the power struggle at Anfield continues and the management plot thickens. Comolli’s latest piece of ‘Football Strategy’ has seen him approach French hotshot Sylvain Marveaux, a playmaker by trade who will be out of contract at the end of the season and is currently playing for Rennes in Ligue 1.

Marveaux, only 24 and can play in a variety of attacking and wide positions, can be persuaded as of January but will become available on a Bosman next summer. Should Roy act and pay the money now or wait until mid-2011 and risk a transfer scrap with Europe’s elite?

With Marveaux seemingly coming to Liverpool, reports suggest that as many as five players will be shipped out in a bid to cut costs and rebuild a floundering squad. Ryan Babel, Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and perhaps most significantly Joe Cole will be sold to free up funds for Comolli’s foreign invasion.

Is this the right move? Can Liverpool afford to offload so many players with Premiership experience? Is Marveaux what the fans really want?

And most importantly, is the Hodgson-Comolli structure what fans really want? Or is Dalglish the ideal Christmas present?

Kuyt Hoping For Europa Reunion

Dirk Kuyt is hoping to feature against former club FC Utrecht in Wednesday's Europa League clash.

With qualification to the last 32 of the competition already secured, Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is expected to utilize fringe players at Anfield.

The 30-year-old spent five years with Utrecht in his early career before moving to Feyenoord and then on to the Premier League.

Kuyt now faces a wait to see whether he will be included in the midweek squad ahead of a crucial weekend league clash with Fulham.

"I am a player who always wants to be involved in every game and if the manager needs me I will be there for him on Wednesday," Kuyt told the club's official site.

"I have missed a few games through injury this season and I hope I can feature against my former club.

"We play a lot of games in a season and obviously you can't play in every game but it would be nice to play against Utrecht at Anfield.

"We have done really well in the Europa League and it would be nice to finish the group stages with a good performance at home.

"I had some good times at Utrecht and a lot of people are still there at the club who I am good friends with."

Roy Draws Up Shopping List

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has targeted as many as four new signings in the January transfer window, skysports.com understands.

Hodgson is keen to reinforce his squad in the New Year after a disappointing start to the new season.

The Reds chief is now thought to have drawn up his shopping list as to what the club need in the transfer window if they are to challenge for a top four spot.

Liverpool are believed to be keen on bringing in a new right-back, central defender, forward and winger if the right players become available in January.

The Anfield outfit is tracking a number of right-backs across the world as doubts continue to surround the future of Glen Johnson with the England international understood to be interested in a move abroad.

Hodgson is also looking to bring in a new central defender to provide cover for the injured pair of Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.

The former Fulham manager has also earmarked a new winger to help add to Liverpool's attacking options with Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia mentioned as a possible target.

A new targetman has been sought since last summer as the club are short of options up front and Hodgson wants to bring in a new striker to partner Fernando Torres and help ease the goalscoring burdern on the Spaniard.

Liverpool Target Shock €16m Swoop On Barca Strike Wonderkid

Liverpool are being linked with a shock swoop for Barcelona wonderkid Bojan Krkic.

The 20-year-old striker, who can also play in the wing positions, has failed to earn a regular starting spot at the Nou Camp, leading to speculation that he could leave the club in the summer.

His agent, Zoran Vekic, revealed that the player will not be making a Catalan exit in January, but admitted Bojan would consider his options at the end of the season. Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is thought to be one of the interested parties in the player.

"Next summer we will analyse it and we'll see, but at the moment he is happy at Barcelona. He's not having many minutes but every time he has a chance he's playing quite well," Vekic told Sport.co.uk.

The agent also dismissed the possibility of a January loan move, something Liverpool have been linked with in relation to the player in the past.

Spurs, Juventus, Inter Milan and Arsenal are also thought to be keen on the player's services, news that could lead to a major battle for Bojan's signature in the new year.

Liverpool's new owners, NESV, have promised a transfer war chest to Hodgson in the region of £35 million, and the Reds boss is reportedly searching for an attacking foil for Fernando Torres as his number one priority.

The Anfield board reportedly wants attacking young talent added to the Liverpool squad, and Bojan would certainly fit the bill were he to be available.

A fee in the region of €16 million is thought to be enough to persuade Pep Guardiola to sell the starlet, but Liverpool will have to move fast when the opportunity arises if they are to beat off the string competition for the player.

Liverpool Target Shock Serie A Swap Deal For New Torres Partner

Liverpool will let Glen Johnson join Juventus, but only if the Italians include striker Amauri in any potential deal.

According to the Daily Mail, the Merseysiders have reluctantly accepted Johnson wants out of Anfield and Juventus are ready to pounce for the England defender.

However, Liverpool will reportedly attempt to get as much out of the deal as possible by demanding Juve offer Italy forward Amauri plus cash if they are to sign Johnson.

The 30-year-old has allegedly been identified by Roy Hodgson as a potential partner for Fernando Torres and his name was reportedly raised during a meeting between Juve technical director Fabio Paratici and Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli.

Liverpool are understood keen to add more potent attacking options to their squad in January and have been linked with numerous names in their pursuit of more goals.

Ajax captain Luis Suarez and Bolton star Johan Elmander are both reportedly in the Liverpool radar, while Belgian youngster Eden Hazard and Japan sensation Keisuike Honda have also been mentioned regarding moves to Anfield.

Hodgson is expected to have money to spend in the New Year as Liverpool owners NESV prepare to make their mark on the transfer market.

With the departure of Johnson looking increasingly likely, the Liverpool boss is also expected to be in the market for defensive reinforcements when the transfer window opens.

Henry Wants Dalglish To Have More Significant Role At Liverpool

Liverpool owner John Henry says he wants ambassador Kenny Dalglish to have a more pronounced role within the club.

The former Reds superstar was close to being installed for a second stint as manager of the Anfield club before Roy Hodgson took the reins in the summer so instead was given an ambassadorial role.

But with the club failing to reach the heights they should be, Henry wants Dalglish to be more significant around the place.

“We actually met a couple of times to talk about things,” Henry said.

“He needs to have a more substantive role within the club and that’s something we are working on with (director of football strategy) Damien Comolli.”

Mark Lawrenson: Time For Liverpool FC Players To Sort Out Their Ownership Issue

The takeover at Liverpool came as a relief to everyone – finally some clear leadership and direction to bring an end to the turmoil.

Now how about a similar thing happening on the field?

John W Henry took ownership, now it’s time some of the Liverpool players did as well.

What struck me about the game at Newcastle was that the team appeared rudderless.

When Fernando Torres missed that great chance to make it 2-1, they should have built on that moment and sensed the game was there for the taking.

But nobody was prepared to step up and really grab it by the scruff of the break.

Newcastle got a fortunate break and closed the game out quite easily.

Helped by some awful, basic defensive errors it has to be said.

All of which leads to the obvious conclusion that Liverpool are missing Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard badly.

But Gerrard’s absence didn’t affect the side too badly at Tottenham and certainly not in the home game with Aston Villa.

In fact, at St James’ Park Liverpool played quite well for the most part and made a decent start.

And in the central midfield area, Raul Meireles and Lucas have actually been thriving without Gerrard and taking some responsibility.

But it’s when you’re up against it, especially away from home, that you need more players to take responsibility as leaders.

Even with Gerrard and Carragher back in the team, those players can’t just be looking for them to provide the inspiration.

Everyone has to start putting their necks on the line.

As it is, the past week has summed up Liverpool’s season for me.

At home everything is absolutely fine. They have shaken off those early jitters that saw them lose to Blackpool at Anfield, and that remains their only home defeat of the campaign.

Victories over Chelsea, West Ham and Aston Villa have shown that they can find their groove and smash teams into submission in front of the Kop.

But what Roy Hodgson has to somehow instil is the ability to be mentally strong enough to respond to adversity and bounce back when you’re under the cosh.

If they had that they would have won at Spurs and at Newcastle, never mind drawn.

It could come from him it could come from within the players.

But either way, if it doesn’t happen soon then I won’t be changing my early season opinion that Liverpool are a top 10 side – but not a top six one.

Liverpool FC Away Form Causing Roy Hodgson Sleepless Nights

Roy Hodgson admits Liverpool’s dreadful Premier League away form is leaving him with sleepness nights.

Hodgson’s men’s travel sickness continued at the weekend when they slumped to a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Newcastle United.

It was Liverpool’s sixth defeat in nine away league games this season with the Anfield outfit having taken just five points from a possible 27 on their travels – their worst tally at this stage of a campaign since 1962.

Liverpool was on course for at least a point after Kevin Nolan’s first-half strike was equalized by Dirk Kuyt shortly after half-time.

But poor defending at a set-piece allowed Joey Barton to restore Newcastle’s advantage with 10 minutes remaining before Andy Carroll slammed home a third during injury time.

And Hodgson, for whom the injured pair Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were both sorely missed, reveals that the decisive second Magpies goal will keep him awake in the early hours.

“It will be great to have Steven back next week, but even he could not have done anything about the second goal,” said the Liverpool manager. “And that is what is going to haunt me when I ride home, and when I wake up in the middle of the night.

“That has cost us any chance of getting anything.

“I came into this job to try and win every game and I can’t say it’s harder or easier than I thought - I just need to keep working hard. It’s the job I signed on to do.

“Do I wake up in the middle of the night often? You find me a football manager who’s worthy of his sword, who doesn’t wake up in middle of night after matches, and I’ll give you a good headline.”

Hodgson admits Barton’s goal dealt a massive psychological blow to his players and warns there is no magic formula to repair their fragile mental strength away from Anfield.

“The major problem was the second goal, which was an unbelievably bad goal to give away,” said the manager. “That’s the bottom line.

“When you concede a goal like that, it’s going to have a major effect on the team’s confidence.

“We weren’t looking that troubled at 1-1, we weren’t exactly being smashed or bombarded.

Newcastle had not put us under massive pressure but when you concede like that, you can almost see in the faces of the players, ‘Whoops, here we go again’.

“How can we change that? You’ve just got to win, it’s as simple as that. There is no magic formula.

“You have to play better than we did in the second half – if we had played for 90 minutes in exactly the same way, and passed the ball in the same way, and kept our shape as we did in the first half, we would have had a good chance.”

Newcastle had endured a week of turmoil after popular manager Chris Hughton was surprisingly sacked to be replaced by Alan Pardew.

There were demonstrations outside the ground before the match against Magpies owner Mike Ashley, but the home supporters departed all smiles following Liverpool’s heaviest defeat at St James’ Park in 17 years. But Hodgson does not believe his team missed a chance to make the most of Newcastle’s predicament.

“I don’t think in those terms or go into that type of analysis,” said the manager. “Thinking about the opposition’s state of mind is not my business, I just prepare my team in the best way I can and never allow myself to think in those terms.”

David Ngog is likely to miss Wednesday’s Europa League dead rubber against FC Utrecht after receiving stitches in a cut just above his eye on Saturday which forced him to leave the field to be replaced by Ryan Babel.

“Hopefully David will be okay for the Fulham game,” added Hodgson.

“It might be difficult for me to play him on Wednesday against Utrecht but I don’t think it will keep him out of next Saturday’s game.”

Dalglish Does Not Expect Reina Or Torres To Leave Reds

Kenny Dalglish does not expect any of Liverpool's star players to leave in the foreseeable future, insisting: "I don't think there's anybody trying to get away".

Liverpool slumped to ninth in the Premier League table after their 3-1 defeat at Newcastle, which leaves them with just six wins from 17 league games. The Reds finished the weekend nine points adrift of a Champions League qualifying spot, and they have won one away game all season.

Such a poor run of form has seen the likes of Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina linked with a move away from Anfield, and both players have fanned those flames at times by warning the club that it must show signs of improvement.

Dalglish, a Liverpool ambassador, is not concerned about the future though, pointing to the fact that the Reds' key players all recently signed long-term deals. Reina penned a six-year contract in April, Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard both extended their agreements in 2009, while Torres is tied in until 2013.

"I wouldn't see that as a problem," Dalglish said when asked by Sky Sports News of his fears over a player exodus. "I don't think there's anybody trying to get away.

"They've all committed themselves to the club for a long time, we were delighted when they did, and I can't see any reason why they would change their minds."

Dalglish does admit that results need to improve under Hodgson, but he called for calm, insisting the former Fulham boss is guiding the club through a tough time.

"It's a transitional period for the club, Roy came in very late on in the summer, his players were away on international duty, he took a while to assess the staff, and by the time he did that he had run out of time in the transfer market.

"Through no fault of Roy Hodgson's, it is a transitional period. The takeover rightly took precedence over everything else. The club has settled down a lot more now and has some stability. Now we need to get results on the pitch.

"Roy Hodgson will decide if he needs to improve the squad. If he sees a weakness I'm sure he'll ask the owners for finance."

Liverpool Prepare Bid For €6 Million Next Anfield Hero

Liverpool is ready to formalize their reported interest in FC Basel midfielder Valentin Stocker, according to The People.

The 21-year-old Swiss sensation has been linked with a move to Merseyside for some time and it would now seem the Reds are prepared to table a bid in order to fight of interest from other suitors.

It had been reported last month that Liverpool had commenced informal discussions regarding the youngster – something which was later confirmed by his agent Marco Balmelli.

Balmelli told TMW: "Liverpool? Yes, with the English club I have had contact. How much? Five to six million euro.

"Valentin is good technically, can play multiple roles, both on the wing and the centre."

Stocker has caught the eye of a host of European clubs since bursting onto the scene two years ago, and has since gone on to represent Switzerland - scoring three times in just six appearances thus far.

A fleet-footed attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, Stocker would certainly fit with the ethos of new Liverpool owners NESV in their quest to invest in young talent to develop a squad for the future at Anfield.

Liverpool are slowly building a young and talented squad at Anfield with exciting Spanish starlets Suso and Dani Pacheco already making waves in the Liverpool reserves - and Stocker would certainly be worthwhile acquisition.

Liverpool have also been linked with January moves for French youngster Mamadou Sakho and Israel prodigy Omri Altman as Roy Hodgson looks to continue the rebuilding job at Anfield.

Liverpool Make £12.5m Bid For Ajax Striker Luis Suarez

Liverpool have made a €15m (£12.5m) bid for Ajax striker Luis Suarez, but the Dutch side are holding out for closer to €25m (£20.9m), according to media reports.

Italian publication Tuttomercato comments that the Reds want to pair the Uruguayan with Fernando Torres at Anfield, and have made initial enquires to bring Suarez to the club in the January transfer window.

Ajax is not currently in a position where they can reject a substantial offer for their star asset, but will attempt to hold out for a bigger fee from the Premier League side.

The likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and Tottenham have been linked with Suarez in the past, but Liverpool has now emerged as one of the main contenders for the player’s signature.

The 23-year-old struck 49 goals in an incredible season last year, and has managed 11 goals in 22 matches for the Amsterdam club this season.

M'Vila Admits To Interest

Rennes star Yann M'Vila has confessed his love for the Premier League with a number of top clubs reportedly tracking the midfielder.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa have all registered interest in the 20-year-old who has recently broken into the senior French national team.

This catapulted the Frenchman of Congolese descent into the eyes of Europe's elite clubs despite being contracted to Rennes until the summer of 2014.

Manager Frederic Antonetti is likely to command a fee in the region of £13million for his man once the January transfer window opens.

M'Vila recently said he would like to remain at the club in 2011, but that 'it doesn't matter when I leave as I feel ready for anything'.

The anchorman admitted to L'Equipe: "Which league do I watch on TV? The Premier League! It matches my game.

"It is a warrior's game, where you have to show plenty of fighting spirit.

"I like to watch Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, but also Manchester City.

"I'm a big fan of the English state of mind and tackling.

"You can't leave for a big club to be a substitute. I prefer to stay at my club to improve. I want to work more on the attacking aspect of my game - scoring and assisting."

Larsson - Blues Future Unclear

Birmingham City midfielder Sebastian Larsson admits his future at the club is still up in the air.

The 25-year-old winger has forced his way into the Sweden set-up this year with a string of impressive performances at St Andrews, including scoring a penalty in Blues' Carling Cup triumph over Aston Villa.

But the former Arsenal trainee has yet to agree a new deal in the Midlands with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

And Larsson has warned Birmingham fans that there are no guarantees that he will stay at the club next summer.

Larsson, who has been linked with Liverpool and Everton, confessed: "By no means am I not signing, but I couldn't promise anyone that I will sign either.

"I am just being honest about the situation.

"My contract is running out, we have not agreed anything. We'll keep working hard, and I'll see what happens.

"I would like more talks, but at the moment I don't know if any dates are planned."

That means that boss Alex McLeish risks losing one of his brightest stars for nothing, and he will want Birmingham's Chinese owners to up their offer to keep Larsson.

But the player insists it is not only money that will decide his future, adding: "I'd like to stay if we can find an agreement where everybody is happy. This season I am enjoying my football more than ever and the manager has been a big help to me.

"I am 25 and of course my next contract is a big one for me. It's an important part of my career. I am just being honest.

"It is not just financial, it is a lot to do with where the club wants to go, and if we can match each other.

"You just want to know the club is going forward. I've no idea how much the owners want to spend. For me you just want to be as successful as you can."

Hodgson Says Liverpool Are Losing Confidence As Speculation Mounts About His Future

Roy Hodgson is worried after yesterday's defeat at Newcastle and says that his Liverpool team is losing confidence.

Hodgson could be losing more than that soon as speculation is starting to mount that Anfield's new owners are going to make a change in time for the opening of the January transfer window.

"Confidence is obviously a factor because the longer you go without winning away from home it plays on your confidence.

"We didn't produce a good enough performance to win the game. If you want to win a game away from home against a team like Newcastle you have to play at least as well as we did in the first half for the full 90 minutes.

"We didn't do that in the second half. We gave the ball away far too often and we kept giving the ball away. We didn't get anywhere near as good enough quality balls into their half like we did in the first half, and we gave away two very bad goals."

Hodgson continued on the Newcastle game: "This is a major setback and a major blow because we have been on a good run recently and played well.

"I thought we played well in the first half - we had most of the ball, asked a lot of questions of their back four and got into some good positions. I had high hopes we would continue to play well but I was disappointed with our second-half display.

"We let Newcastle back into the game and we conceded a second goal - the like of which you don't want to see as a manager. The ball should have been cleared on at least three occasions before Barton scored."

Next up for Liverpool is Hodgson's old club Fulham at Anfield on Saturday. Hodgson will be hoping that his old club doesn’t end his reign at his new one.

Reds To Make Germany Visit

A party of Liverpool supporters will make their fifth consecutive 'friendship visit' to Moenchengladbach in Germany in 2011 and enhance a very special friendship that goes back over 30 years.

Fans of the Reds and Bundesliga club Borussia Moenchengladbach established strong links following the teams' meetings in European competition during the 1970s.

Since 1992, a group of Borussia fans have travelled to Anfield every winter to support Liverpool, and Kopites, led by organiser Graham Agg, have journeyed to Moenchengladbach annually since 2007.

The 2011 Liverpool FC Supporters Friendship visit to Moenchengladbach will take place from Friday, 18th March to Monday 21st March 2011.

This will as usual include guaranteed match tickets to watch Borussia Moenchengladbach in Bundesliga action, and we are taking in the clash with Kaiserslautern at the 54,000 capacity Borussia Park.

All match tickets for the visiting LFC supporters are guaranteed by the Borussia Moenchengladbach Fan Projekt.

Every year since 2007, the Liverpool supporters have been invited on to the Borussia Park pitch shortly before Borussia's home match to unveil a specially commissioned friendship flag that they unveil each year and the Borussia "Nord Kurve", Borussia's equivalent of the Liverpool Kop, sing a moving rendition of "You'll never walk alone".

Commentating on the special relationship between the two sets of supporters, Agg said: "The friendship and hospitality shown to us during our previous four friendship visits since 2007 has been truly awe-inspiring and it really is a friendship that is absolutely unique in world football.

"I do not believe there are two other clubs in the world that has a friendship as strong as Borussia Moenchengladbach with Liverpool Football Club.

"It is something to which both sets of supporters and clubs should be truly proud to uphold."

Also on the 2011 LFC Supporters Friendship visit itinerary this year will be, as usual, a guided tour of the impressive Borussia Park, where they have a suite called the "Liverpool suite"!

We will also visit the many pubs and bars in the Moenchengladbach Altstadt (Old Town) and a visit to the Borussia Moenchengladbach "Fanhaus", the official BMG Supporters Club who have a whole corner dedicated to Liverpool FC.

Organiser Agg wishes to remind all travelling LFC supporters that they will be once again be acting as ambassadors for Liverpool FC and the City of Liverpool.

Match Report: Newcastle 3 - 1 Liverpool

Andy Carroll and Joey Barton combined to hand Alan Pardew a winning start to his Newcastle reign as jeers turned to cheers at St James' Park.

The 21-year-old England international's 10th goal of the season cemented a priceless victory for the Magpies after Scouser Barton's 80th-minute strike had restored their lead.

Skipper Kevin Nolan, another native Liverpudlian, had got the Magpies off to the perfect start with a 15th-minute opener, but Dirk Kuyt looked to have snatched a point for the visitors when his 50th-minute shot was deflected past keeper Tim Krul by the unfortunate Steven Taylor.

A delighted crowd of 50,137 had arrived determined to voice their fury at owner Mike Ashley's decision to sack Chris Hughton, and they did just that.

However, they left delighted with what they had seen as Pardew's charges responded in the only fashion they could.

As traumatic weeks go - and Newcastle have had a few in recent times - the last one on Tyneside has been right up there with the most trying, and there was a rebellious air around St James' once again in the run-up to kick-off.

The Toon Army made their feelings abundantly clear outside the stadium before the game, and did so in greater numbers once it was under way.

There were repeated choruses of "Stand up if you hate Ashley", "Get out of our club" and "There's only one Chris Hughton" among some less savoury offerings, while one banner read simply, "Thank you, Chris".

Indeed, as Pardew made his way to the dug-out for the first time, he did so almost unnoticed.

But both he and Ashley, sitting alongside managing director Derek Llambias, were on their feet within 15 minutes as the focus turned to what was happening on the pitch rather than off it.

The opening goal may have been fashioned on Merseyside, but it did not go to the men in red as two Scousers combined to open the door.

Barton's free-kick was floated perfectly to the far post for Carroll to win a muscular challenge with Sotirios Kyrgiakos and head down for Nolan to fire home his eighth of the season from close range.

The sense of unity fostered by Hughton during his tenure was there for all to see as Nolan was mobbed by his team-mates with the Toon Army celebrating.

Krul had earlier had to palm away a Kyrgiakos snapshot after referee Lee Mason, whose display was at times mystifying, awarded the visitors a soft free-kick for Jose Enrique's challenge on Glen Johnson.

But in an open encounter, both keepers had to remain alert throughout with Liverpool moving the ball well in an attempt to create space for the returning Fernando Torres, while Newcastle relied largely upon the physical presence of Carroll and strike partner Shola Ameobi.

The pair combined to great effect on the half hour when Carroll blasted in a low drive from Ameobi's lay-off which forced Jose Reina into a smart save, and the latter saw a 36th-minute effort fly just wide after it clipped Martin Skrtel's heels with the keeper already committed.

In the meantime, Enrique had been in the right place at the right time to keep out Raul Meireles' shot after it had been deflected towards goal by David Ngog, and Kyrgiakos headed a Meireles corner across the face of goal in first half injury time with Liverpool making a big push.

That trend continued after the restart and the visitors were level within five minutes, thanks in part to a slice of good fortune.

Kuyt did well to trick his way past Sol Campbell, but his shot was deflected past Krul by the unwitting Taylor and crept inside the far post.

Liverpool flexed their muscles and could have taken the lead twice within seconds as Torres first headed straight at Krul and then failed to beat him one-on-one after getting in behind a ragged home defence.

However, the Magpies responded and went close themselves when Barton crossed from the left for Carroll to dive in and head over as the ball dropped just over Skrtel's head.

Substitute Nile Ranger, on for the injured Ameobi, might have announced his arrival in style when he ran on to Carroll's 64th-minute knockdown and eased Skrtel off the ball, but his shot from a tight angle flew wide of the far post.

But they took the lead once again with 10 minutes remaining when Carroll and Ranger both helped on Krul's clearance and Barton stole in to snatch all three points.

The stage was set for a nervy conclusion, but Carroll prompted a collective sigh of relief when he crashed home a superb left-foot strike from 25 yards to wrap up a vital win.

Hodgson Unhappy With Liverpool's Second-Half Performance In Defeat To Newcastle

Roy Hodgson vented his frustration at Liverpool's poor defending in their 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday.

Despite the visitors equalizing through Dirk Kuyt, two late goals from Joey Barton and Andy Carroll condemned Liverpool to their third consecutive league defeat on the road, as new Newcastle boss Alan Pardew enjoyed a dream start to his tenure at St James’ Park.

Hodgson highlighted Liverpool’s inability to produce the same level of performance as they showed in the first half, coupled with defensive mistakes, for his side’s downfall.

“I was disappointed with the second half,” Hodgson told reporters after the game.

“I thought we dominated the first half, we certainly had a lot of the ball and we certainly had the ball in the opposing half of the field and when they actually scored the goal from the free-kick, it was probably the first time that the ball had been in our penalty area.

“We’d asked a lot of questions, at that stage, of their back four. So I was thinking, even at half time, that we’re not looking that bad, we’re playing the right sort of football, we’re getting in behind them on lots of occasions, getting into shooting and crossing positions.”

However, despite getting back into the match through Kuyt’s deflected strike after the break, Liverpool subsequently conceded two late goals to hand Pardew victory in his first game in charge of Newcastle. And, Hodgson believes that the new Magpies boss will be delighted with his side’s display in the second period of the game.

“He’ll [Pardew] be very pleased with the way they came back after the [game went to] 1-1, the fighting spirit they showed and I suppose that was encapsulated in the second goal where, really and truly, that’s a ball which should’ve been cleared by us on at least two if not three occasions before Barton toes it home.

“So I’m sure he’ll be delighted with their second half performance and their effort and their fighting spirit, but I think unfortunately a lot of that is down to the fact that we didn’t produce the level of performance that we produced in the first half where we not only kept them quiet, but I thought, gave them lots of problems to deal with.”

Liverpool’s defeat at St James’ Park came on the back of an impressive 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in their last league game, something that compounded the misery of their second-half surrender to Newcastle in the eyes of Hodgson.

“It’s a major setback and it’s a major blow because we’ve had a couple of good games recently and we’re on a good run and the way the second half went, with the early equalizer I had high hopes we’d continue to play at the level we’ve played at recently.

“But we didn’t, we let Newcastle back into the game and furthermore we conceded a second goal the like of which you don’t really want to see when you’re a coach.”

Hodgson Ignored Board's Advice To Sell List Of Players

Manager Roy Hodgson claims Liverpool's recent improvement is a direct result of his decision to ignore the board's request to sell a number of players in the summer.

Hodgson has revealed that former managing director Christian Purslow handed him a list of players to sell in the transfer window, prior to John W Henry's Anfield takeover in October, but chose to ignore the advice.

"I got a list from Christian," Hodgson told the Guardian. "He had been here for just over a year and was a big fan of the club as well as being managing director. He had very strong opinions about lots of players and he gave lots of opinions about them. I listened but I made it perfectly clear that I wouldn't act on it.

"To some extent, he was saying what a lot of other people might have done. But now when he rings or texts me, to be fair, he says what a good job [that] we didn't do the things that had been suggested."

The Liverpool manager did not reveal the names on the list but following the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Monday night Hodgson heralded the likes Lucas Leiva, David Ngog and Ryan Babel, who all started in the Anfield victory.

Although some of Liverpool's previously maligned players have started to flourish under Hodgson the Liverpool boss has urged new owners NESV to strengthen the squad in January.

"There are still areas of the squad where we are not so rich," Hodgson said. "If we hit a couple of bad spells with injury we could be in quite a bit of trouble. I'm not certain our depth is what it should be and we certainly don't have the depth of Tottenham, Chelsea or Arsenal.

"My message to them [NESV] would be - and it is not a secret because I have had discussions with John [W Henry] about it - if the right players become available and we really think they will push us on, we should go for them."

Liverpool Wonderkid Target Now Available On Free

African starlet Rabiu Ibrahim is now a free agent after failing to agree a new deal at Sporting Lisbon.

The 19-year-old playmaker has been monitored by the cream of Europe in previous years, with Liverpool one of the Premier League clubs thought to be interested in the player.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were also thought to be tracking Ibrahim only a few years ago, with all of the Premier League big four setting their sights on the player after a stunning U17 World Cup for Nigeria back in 2007.

The Super Eagles produced a major upset to win the tournament, and Ibrahim emerged as the star, leading to speculation that Liverpool would make a move for the player in the British press at the time.

Sporting landed the player on a youth contract however, a move that was seen as a major coup at the time.

Injuries have hampered the attacking midfielder's further development in Portugal though, and the player has reportedly failed to agree terms on a new contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

His signature would be seen as a gamble by most, but still only a teenager, the player has the chance to continue developing.

Liverpool recently appointed Damien Comolli as Director of Football strategy at Anfield, and any decision on a potential move could fall into his directive.

It is also unknown as whether the Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson would be interested in the maverick African talent.

Celtic have also been close to signing the player in the past, and could challenge Liverpool or any club with interest in the player due to his current situation.