Hodgson - Reds must improve

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has admitted his misfiring side are not playing like UEFA Champions League contenders.

The Reds dropped two more Premier League points on Saturday as they were forced to come from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw against a determined Sunderland side at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard headed home a second-half leveller after a brace from Darren Bent - the first coming from the penalty spot after Christian Poulsen was penalised for handball - had given the Black Cats hope of an upset.

Dirk Kuyt bagged a controversial opener after referee Stuart Attwell ruled Michael Turner had taken a free-kick, with the Sunderland defender feeling he was only trying to knock the ball back to goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to restart play.

It has been a season of struggle so far for Liverpool, with just one win to show from their opening six fixtures, and they remain in the lower reaches of the tightly-packed table.

The clash with the Wearsiders was billed as an opportunity for redemption following Wednesday's shock Carling Cup exit at the hands of Northampton - albeit with 11 different players - but Hodgson's replacements fared little better.

The Anfield boss was keen to take the positives as his side hit back from 2-1 down and dominated the closing stages without forcing a winner, but accepted Liverpool have work to do to claim a place back in the top four.

"It wasn't the result we wanted - we wanted a victory - but in many ways it was the performance we wanted,"he said.

Spirit and determination

"I think that the penalty they got was fairly compensatory. I don't subscribe to accidental handball. Handball should be intentional, and there is no way anyone is going to persuade me that was an intentional handball.

"I'm always a little bit surprised by how dismissive you can be - as journalists - of opponents. Sunderland are a good team, they have got good players. If we don't defend as well as we should do they are going to cause problems.

"But over the 90 minutes I thought we were certainly worth more than the point we got. I'm sure the fans will appreciate the effort, the spirit and the determination of the players and that is another little step forward.

"The league is very, very tight. Had we won today we probably would have found ourselves in fourth or fifth place.

"I don't think we're playing like a team from fourth or fifth place at the moment, but that is how close the league is. There is not an awful lot to put between players.

"One of the things that is lacking is we need to play and work much more together. We've got a lot of new players coming into the team and we haven't had that much time.

"The more we work and the more the team plays together the better you will see them become. Rome wasn't built in a day and we've got to keep working at it.

"Certainly I've got a group of players here who will work and try to get better and give their all."

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