LONDON – Former Liverpool stars rallied to the support of beleaguered manager Roy Hodgson on Thursday as speculation mounted that the Anfield boss could be fired after yet another defeat. Kevin Keegan and John Barnes insisted Hodgson was capable of turning around Liverpool’s season in the wake of a 3-1 loss at Blackburn on Wednesday which edged him closer to the exit.
Keegan believes the 63-year-old can revitalise the club’s fortunes, starting with Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford. “The opportunity comes at Manchester United to get back on track,” Keegan said. “It’s a tough one. Liverpool are a big club, big expectation, underperformed over a number of years – way before Roy Hodgson went in there.
“They’ve got to give him time but it’s the one thing you don’t get, as we all know. The clock ticks on the wall and managers don’t get time.” Barnes believed Hodgson could yet win over the critics if Liverpool’s results improved. “You know what football’s like. It’s results driven and pick up some results and the tide changes,” he said.
