UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE: GROUP K: Napoli v Liverpool:ROY HODGSON has made a frank admission that Liverpool could be vulnerable to a bid from Manchester United for Fernando Torres in January.
The Liverpool manager also revealed he was caught unawares by Christian Purslow’s departure as managing director only five days after overseeing the sale of the club to New England Sports Ventures.
Torres, out of form and out of Liverpool’s squad to face Napoli tonight, has looked a disillusioned figure at Anfield this season but has been touted as a potential replacement for Wayne Rooney should United sell him in the next transfer window.
Alex Ferguson has often dismissed the prospect of bringing a Liverpool star to Old Trafford as “unthinkable”. Rafael Benitez, Hodgson’s predecessor as manager, insisted he would resign if Torres had been sold on his watch.
The present Liverpool manager, however, believes a United move for Torres cannot be discounted. “When a great player like Rooney is looking to leave his club, United will be in a position to target a lot of players around the world,” Hodgson said.
“I don’t think Fernando Torres will be the only striker they target, and I don’t think that we will be the only club that will be worried their striker can be targeted. I am not naive to believe there won’t be any danger and we will never lose a player like Torres. I don’t believe we will lose him, we will do our best to ensure he stays.”
One confirmed departure from Liverpool was that of Purslow, who was instrumental in the recent takeover drama and the appointment of Hodgson as manager.
Purslow will continue at Anfield as a non-executive director and special adviser to the new owners but his exit as managing director, and its timing, came as a surprise. Purslow, blamed by Benitez for Liverpool’s recent woes only 24 hours before his departure, said he was looking forward “to assisting the owners in any way I can at this exciting time”.
Excitement and optimism do not describe the mood around Hodgson’s team, however. It said everything about the paucity of the squad the Liverpool manager selected for this tie that, on their flight to Naples yesterday, the most famous person on board was the pilot.
Capt Paul Bruce Dickinson, whose numerous guises include being the lead singer of Iron Maiden, lent a celebrity touch to a journey minus three first-team players through injury – Dirk Kuyt, Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger – plus four more omitted by choice.
“It was a very straightforward decision for me because it’s a question of priority,” Hodgson said. “We have four points from two games in this group. We’ve started well. We’ve got four matches left to get the six points or so we need to qualify.
If you’ve got to make a sacrifice with the team on one game then I’d make the sacrifice in this game.”
Guardian Service
Venue:Stadio San Paolo
Kick off:6pm
On TV:3e, ITV4
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