Dan: Roy will sort it out

DANNY MURPHY has urged Liverpool fans to give Roy Hodgson time to get things right...because Kenny Dalglish is yesterday's man.

Sections of the Kop have already lost patience with Hodgson after a dismal start to the season which sees the Reds knee-deep in relegation territory.

And there were chants for Liverpool legend Dalglish, who canvassed for the job in the summer when Rafa Benitez left for Inter Milan, to replace Hodgson following the dreadful 2-1 defeat by Blackpool at Anfield last weekend.

But ex-Anfield star and lifelong ­Liverpool supporter Murphy, who knows both Hodgson and Dalglish well, believes the return of King Kenny would be a backward step.

Fulham ace Murphy, speaking at this week's Leaders In Football ­conference, said: "It's inevitable ­people want to revert to Kenny. It's King Kenny, isn't it? I grew up loving the man, everyone loves him.

"He's a great guy and he has been a top manager, but he has been out of the game for a long time.

"The Liverpool team has quality in it and the simple fact is if you panic now and, God forbid, get rid of Roy and bring someone else in, the ­problems are still there."

Murphy points to the fact Hodgson turned Fulham from a side fighting for Premier League survival to Europa League finalists before leaving for Liverpool in the summer.

The Cottagers lost their first six games under Hodgson before his methods really began to kick in.

He added: "The way Roy wants his team to play and the type of tactics and discipline he wants don't ­happen overnight.

"The bad times at Liverpool have not just come, they've been trophyless for a couple of years now."

Murphy believes the rot set in at Anfield long before Hodgson arrived.

"The squad diminished in the last couple of years under Rafa Benitez," he said. "It's not as if Roy has come in and all of a sudden they've gone bad.

"There was the loss of Javier Mascherano in the summer and Xabi Alonso before that. Players of that calibre haven't really been replaced.

"Fernando Torres has not been fully fit and has not performed to his best.

"So my overwhelming feeling is, yes, it's disappointing, yes, Liverpool should be doing better, but don't panic.

"I know Roy, I know his desire to succeed, I know the characters they still have in that team, and I know they'll be okay.

"Roy's not the type of man to walk away from it. He's a fighter and he believes in what he does and his track record ­suggests what he does is right.

"It's only a ­minority of the fans calling for his head and there's a real ­discontent issue there with the ­ownership problems anyway.

"Liverpool is a huge and wonderful club and the spotlight is always on them so when things don't go so well, it's going to be exaggerated.

"I'm not saying there aren't ­problems, but a win at Everton next weekend and all of a sudden they're mid-table, they've just beaten Everton and everyone's a bit ­happier. That's if they win."

Murphy revealed that a recent chat with Hodgson made it clear the ­veteran gaffer knew the size of the task he was in for at Anfield.

"I spoke to him recently when I was up there for Jamie Carragher's ­testimonial and he knows it's a big job," Murphy went on.

"He knows it's a big task but it was always going to be for whoever took that job over.

"The debate about new owners will lead to speculation that they want this manager or that manager, but let's flip that and say it might settle everyone down and give everyone a calm ­platform to go and play football.

"I'm passionate about Liverpool, and I'm desperate to see them succeed.

"They're going through a ­transitional period so give Roy time and see where they are at Christmas."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.