Total Football

By Chris O'Keefe

More than a month ago, Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson suggested that Liverpool should not be judged in terms of their progress until at least ten games into this season.

Their loss to Everton on Sunday afternoon is their eighth league game and so far Liverpool have only one once, the club's worst start since before the days of Bill Shankly and leaves them nestling in the relegation zone, with little hope of reaching European football next season.

Goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta saw the Blues jump to 11th and earn a deserved victory over their fiercest rivals, in a game where Liverpool showed little promise or potential for a side that has a new manager and new owners after a week of drama in the High Court.

Hodgson's side put together only a couple of clear chances throughout the entire game and striker Fernando Torres was starved of meaningful service from his Liverpool teammates. However, his boss told the BBC that he is unsure as to how his side lost the Merseyside derby.

Indeed, the ex-Fulham manager indicated that the Spanish international is enduring a period of self doubt in front of goal at the moment rather than blaming his fortunes on injury problems.

The underfire Liverpool manager suggested that his team were unlucky to go into the half-time break, although the reaction of those Liverpool fans inside Goodison Park may have suggested otherwise.

Hodgson said: "In the second half, we did everything we could possibly do. We played well, created chances, limited them to very few and put them very much on the back foot. Unfortunately, by that time we were 2-0 down.

"I don't feel it to be a crisis because I feel the way we have played I don't think anyone would really believe that's the level of football a team in the bottom three or four would play."

Liverpool's new owners, who were in attendance at Sunday's game, will see the Reds look to put their league woes to one side as they take on Napoli in the Europa League on Thursday. While the change of ownership may have given many supporters a boost, the performance at Everton will provide a number of headaches as their side looks to discover some fluency and results.