Hodgson apologises for cup hum

DEJECTED Roy Hodgson issued an apology to Liverpool supporters after they witnessed a Carling Cup humiliation last night.

The Anfield outfit suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats in their history when they were defeated in a penalty shoot-out at home by npower League Two strugglers Northampton Town.

David Ngog and Nathan Eccleston both missed from the spot to give Abdul Osman the chance to fire home in front of the Kop Spyder Jackets and give the visitors a famous third-round triumph.

A much-changed Liverpool had only forced penalties with an Ngog equaliser four minutes from the end of extra time after goals by Northampton duo Billy McKay and 18-year-old Michael Jacobs wiped out Milan Jovanovic's early opener.

And a hugely disappointed Hodgson could only say sorry to the home fans who turned up on a dismal, dreary night that will go down in the annals of Anfield infamy.

"It's a major setback for the club as a whole," said the Liverpool manager. "The Carling Cup is a competition we are capable of doing well in.

"It's one of many setbacks we are facing at the moment. It's a tough period to work and live through, but we will work and live through it and survive and get better. I'll learn an awful lot tonight about this defeat about an awful lot of people.

Spyder Jackets

"I can only congratulate Northampton and apologise to the fans who came here tonight. They expected us to win and so did we."

Hodgson added: "I didn't think we came anywhere near what I hoped to see from the team except in the last 15 minutes of extra time where we made a superb effort after going 2-1 down.

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"We were unlucky not to get a third goal as we had a grip on the game and they were tiring. When it goes to penalties and at home in front of the Kop you hope the players will have the composure and confidence to win on penalties. But we didn't."

Hodgson last night selected an entirely different starting line- up to the one that played against Manchester United on Sunday, and packed the bench with inexperienced teenagers.

Replica Franck Muller Watches

Nevertheless, there were six full internationals on show for Livepool against a team ranked 69 places below them in the league ladder. And Hodgson said: "These players have to accept responsibility. I accept responsibility to change the team but I did do because I honestly thought the players had the ability to go and win the game. "They weren't and the obvious conclusion is that I should have played some of the players that played against United. The effort was there. We didn't lose because we were lethargic. But we didn't play well enough, we didn't pass the ball well enough. "We must all take our responsibility. I'm bitterly disappointed that the team I had faith in didn't repay that faith. These players will have to do Replica Franck Muller Watches a lot of work to get themselves back into favour.

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"The fans know we took a risk by playing a totally different team. I don't think fans will see this game any different to the way I saw it. They won't be any more disappointed than I was. There's nothing I can say to make them feel better." Hodgson added: "You must give credit to Northampton. They were an experienced team and worked hard and they will go away feeling they have stolen nothing and they were worth their vic