Hodgson ushers in new Anfield era

The omens appeared to be set in Roy Hodgson's favour going into his first game as Liverpool manager.

After Saturday's meeting with Al-Hilal was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch, it seemed that fate had conspired that the game which heralded the dawn of his Anfield reign was in a country where he is still very much revered and against a club he once managed.

Some would see the fact that Liverpool have again taken their annual pre-season training camp to Switzerland, where the 62-year-old is still hailed as something of a visionary for his sterling efforts in helping the national side qualify for Euro '96, as somewhat fitting.

Admittedly friendlies are a poor benchmark of a side's true potential but Liverpool's first game under Hodgson did offer glimpses of promise with a relatively inexperienced side forming a compact and solid unit on the field.

Due to not being afforded the luxury of having the pick of the club's World Cup stars, the Kop boss was forced to field his strongest team from a squad of mainly youth and fringe players, and it was one of the former who was the shining light in this stalemate.

Daniel Ayala was plucked from the club's academy ranks by Rafael Benitez but had been tipped to move to return to his homeland with Real Valladolid following the arrival of his successor earlier this month.

The 19-year-old formed a watertight partnership in central defence alongside Martin Kelly, who is hoping to banish the injury heartache that sidelined him for most of the previous campaign, that could give Hodgson food for thought.

With David Ngog's future still unresolved, the Liverpool manager may also reconsider trading him in after a lively performance that caused real problems for the Swiss outfit when he was in possession.

A series of bustling runs from the left-hand side of midfield will also have done Nathan Eccleston's bid for a role in the senior set-up no harm whatsoever.

One player who failed to take full advantage of his shop window opportunity was Philipp Degen. Fresh from being told to find a new club, the Swiss international struggled to enchant himself to potential suitors with a muted performance.

A clash with Kaiserslautern lies ahead of Liverpool on Saturday before the real hard work starts with a Europa League qualifier against either FK Rabotnicki or FC Mika.

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