Roy Hodgson insists Fernando Torres' crisis of confidence has not returned despite the striker's killer instinct appearing to desert him in Liverpool's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Torres twice hesitated when clean through either side of half-time while the visitors were leading at White Hart Lane in the Premier League yesterday. The delays allowed Sebastien Bassong to snuff out the danger and keep Spurs in a game that was in danger of slipping away from them.
Hodgson admitted last month that Torres was mentally "a bit low" following an injury-hit spell and a poor World Cup. He looked back to his best in Liverpool's victory over Chelsea but has now failed to score in his last three matches.
"I think 'crisis of confidence' may be too strong," said Hodgson after Torres' display yesterday. "I was pleased with Fernando Torres. Fernando himself, because he sets very high standards, will be disappointed he didn't take one of the goal chances which his good play – to be fair – created."
Hodgson also refused to be too harsh on the Spaniard's strike partner David Ngog after the latter inexplicably handled Gareth Bale's free-kick to gift Tottenham a penalty yesterday.
Ngog enjoyed a reprieve when Jermain Defoe missed from the spot and Hodgson said: "Players do these things. I don't think he jumped with his hands to actually stop the ball with his hands."
Ngog hobbled off in the second half but Hodgson's main concern was a serious injury to stand-in captain Jamie Carragher, who went off in the 87th minute with a suspected dislocated shoulder.
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