Hodgson has 'no fear' about his future

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson does not fear for his job and is confident owners New England Sports Ventures will back him as he tries to turnaround the club's recent decline.

The 63-year-old has been under almost constant scrutiny since replacing Rafael Benitez in July as early results left the Reds in the Premier League's bottom three for several weeks.

Things have picked up in recent weeks but Saturday's defeat at Newcastle did not help.

In a fans' phone-in last night principal owner John Henry describing results as "unacceptable" and that was interpreted by some as a thinly-veiled warning to the manager.

However, Hodgson said he was in total agreement with Henry's assessment but was not concerned about his future and was confident the situation would improve, given time and the necessary investment.

"I don't have any fears, worries or concerns," he said.

"But if you put it to me 'You feel there is no chance whatsoever of you getting sacked' then I would be in a minority of one in that respect.

"It happened to Chris Hughton, it happened to Sam Allardyce, Martin O'Neill resigned - we are all in that situation.

"But as someone who prides himself as a professional, who knows his job and is comfortable with doing his job, then you would excuse me for not going down the route you want me to go down in terms of 'Who can we get rid of next?'.

"Because basically speaking unless there is a major inflow of cash into the club and the team is going to be changed from one moment to the next then whoever takes my place will be doing a similar job with similar players.

"The owners have made it perfectly clear they are in it for the long term and they are going to be patient; they realise it is going to take time.

"They realise we can't turn things around overnight and they also realise that the team I am working with is not the team I put together.

"You don't turn things around overnight and they are aware of the magnitude of the task but they are very focused on what needs to be done and I am convinced they will help me get it done."

Hodgson, speaking at a press conference ahead of tomorrow's final Europa League Group K clash at home to Utrecht, was quizzed at length about his position at the club.

He became increasingly frustrated at the line of questioning, although he accepted it was something he had become used to during his short time at the club.

"Once again I come here to do a European press conference, playing Utrecht when we are top of the table, and I find myself answering questions about owners and whether I am safe - it is a sad situation," he added.

"I came here to do a European press conference, which I am forced to do for UEFA, when really and truly I am doing a phone-in with you

"That is the nature of the game, it seems to be the major preoccupation of the mass media because they want to see change.

"It doesn't bother me because I can't do more than I am doing, I can't work harder, I can't work better.

"I have great confidence in my ability, I don't think there is any reason not to have.

"I know the players are working as hard as they can to win matches for Liverpool and therefore me as manager.

"But if you have situations like last night when you have phone-ins to the owners you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know how that is going to go because we are not top of the league.

"Had we been top of the league it might have been different but we are not, we are ninth and we are Liverpool Football Club.

"You don't have to be Albert Einstein to work out more people will be unhappy with that than are happy with it."