Manager Roy Hodgson
claims Liverpool's recent improvement is a direct result of his
decision to ignore the board's request to sell a number of players
in the summer.
Hodgson has revealed that former managing director Christian
Purslow handed him a list of players to sell in the transfer
window, prior to John W Henry's Anfield takeover in October, but
chose to ignore the advice.
"I got a list from Christian," Hodgson told the
Guardian. "He had been here for just over a year and was a
big fan of the club as well as being managing director. He had very
strong opinions about lots of players and he gave lots of opinions
about them. I listened but I made it perfectly clear that I
wouldn't act on it.
"To some extent, he was saying what a lot of other people might
have done. But now when he rings or texts me, to be fair, he says
what a good job [that] we didn't do the things that had been
suggested."
The Liverpool manager did not reveal the names on the list but
following the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Monday night Hodgson
heralded the likes Lucas Leiva,
David Ngog
and Ryan Babel, who
all started in the Anfield victory.
Although some of Liverpool's previously maligned players have
started to flourish under Hodgson the Liverpool boss has urged new
owners NESV to strengthen the squad in January.
"There are still areas of the squad where we are not so rich,"
Hodgson said. "If we hit a couple of bad spells with injury we
could be in quite a bit of trouble. I'm not certain our depth is
what it should be and we certainly don't have the depth of
Tottenham, Chelsea or Arsenal."
"My message to them [NESV] would be - and it is not a secret
because I have had discussions with John [W Henry] about it - if
the right players become available and we really think they will
push us on, we should go for them."
Meanwhile, Hodgson has insisted that there is no truth in the
rumours linking Liverpool with a swoop for AC Milan star Ronaldinho
and Ajax captain Luis Suarez, although he does seem keen on deal
for Aston Villa winger Ashley
Young.
"Ronaldinho and Suarez are players who we have never even
thought about but I would think there is not a manager in the
Premier League who has not given Ashley Young a thought at some
stage or another," said Hodgson.