Liverpool boss pleased with performance of weakened team
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson today revealed that he was pleased with his team’s performance in the opening UEFA Europa League group stage match against Steaua Bucharest — especially since key players
Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were left out of the side. Hodgson's squad turned in a decisive 4-1 victory.
With an eye on the English Premier League clash with Manchester United this Sunday, Hodgson decided to rest his star men and give youngsters such as Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing and David Ngog a chance to
impress on the European stage.
'Right intent'
Hodgson told reporters that: “I was pleased with the team. We got a great start which was good pressurising from the team and we showed the right intent. We got the early reward. After that our opponents
showed how skilful they were and kept the ball quite well. I thought the movement from our midfield players was very good and in the second half it paid off for us."
Ngog grasped the opportunity with both hands to score twice, along with Joe Cole and Lucas. Ngog’s contribution was particularly crucial as Steaua had pulled back to level before he scored his first from
the penalty spot.
Hodgson was pleased to see the Frenchman impose himself on the match and said that: “It was good to see David score the penalty. He regards himself as a penalty taker and he volunteered to take it in the
absence of Steven Gerrard, so we were pleased to give him the responsibility and he took it with great aplomb. We scored some good goals and created lots of opportunities. I'm delighted with the people that came into the side because they all came up trumps.”
The result means that 63-year-old Hodgson has become the first Liverpool manager ever to have won his first five games in European competition.
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