Torres eases pressure on Hodgson

GERRY MARSDEN did his best to lift Liverpool’s flagging spirits when the former Gerry and the Pacemakers singer took to the pitch before kick-off to lead the Anfield crowd in a rousing rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

Under-pressure boss Roy Hodgson might have preferred to have heard another of Marsden’s hits, “You Were Made For Me”, given Hodgson’s need to convince Liverpool’s new owners that he is the man to take the club forward into their new era.

But it all worked out nicely for Liverpool, Hodgson and new custodians New England Sports Ventures (NESV), thanks to Fernando Torres. The Spaniard has had a poor season, with just one Premier League goal prior to yesterday, after his mystifyingly ineffective summer World Cup with champions Spain, but the striker looked ready for new challenges at Anfield yesterday and that can only be good news for Hodgson.