Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson apologized to the English soccer club’s fans Wednesday after its shock League Cup exit at the hands of fourth-tier Northampton.
Hodgson conceded he and the players had to accept responsibility for the third-round defeat as Liverpool saw one of its biggest chances of silverware this season go up in smoke.
Hodgson fielded an under-strength side against the League Two outfit, but it still included first-team regulars like Daniel Agger, David Ngog, Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva.
The Reds went ahead when Milan Jovanovic scored his first goal for the club in the ninth minute.
However, the Cobblers hit back 10 minutes into the second half through Billy McKay and Michael Jacobs’ goal in extra-time appeared to have done enough until Ngog spared Liverpool’s blushes four minutes from the end.
But it was only a temporary reprieve as Ngog and Nathan Eccleston missed their spot-kicks, allowing Abdul Osman to net the decisive penalty.
“All I can do is congratulate Northampton and apologize to everyone. The fans came expecting to see us win and I expected us to win but it wasn’t to be,” Hodgson said.
“The obvious conclusion to that was I shouldn’t have changed that many players but we should have been strong enough to get a result.
“We must all take our responsibility. I am just bitterly disappointed that the team I had so much faith in did not repay that faith this evening with the exception of one or two performances.”
Hodgson has endured a mixed start to his reign as Liverpool manager after taking over from Rafa Benitez in July.
The Reds have registered just one victory in five domestic games and are 16th in the English Premier League (EPL) table ahead of this weekend’s clash with Sunderland.
While Liverpool’s exit was the shock of the third round, English heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester City also crashed out.
Chelsea was beaten 4-3 by Newcastle, while West Bromwich Albion downed free-spending City 2-1.
The League Cup, or Carling Cup as it is known, is a knockout competition played between the 20 clubs of the EPL and the 72 clubs of The Football League, which organizes the competition.
