After four league matches thus far this season, the Merseyside giants find themselves in thirteenth place, and the former Fulham manager insisted that he does not set targets.
“I find it amusing teams are discussing that after four games,” he told reporters after the match.
“That's the annoying thing. I don’t set targets. I don't know [if can win league]. Well take every game as it comes.”
Once again, star striker Fernando Torres looked lacklustre in attack, as the Spaniard’s off-colour start to the Premier League season continued.
But his manager refused to criticise his striker, before claiming that he has no concerns regarding Torres’ current form.
“I think he's working hard for the team. As we saw towards the end of game, he's a constant thorn in the side of defenders,” argued Hodgson.
“I think they [the Birmingham defenders] should get credit for sticking so close to him.
Hodgson continued: “We know he lacks match training. I'm not at all concerned about Fernando Torres, he'll get better and better. Our passing wasn't good enough to get them on the ball”
Reflecting on the match in general, Hodgson admitted that his side was frustrated by the exuberance of the home side, before conceding that goalkeeper Pepe Reina played a pivotal role is keeping the opposition at bay.
"They played extremely well the first half. We started well but around 15 minutes before half-time they really pressurized the ball well and made life very difficult for us," Hodgson told
Sky Sports after the game.
"We were dependant on two very good saves from Pepe Reina, from two excellent crosses and headers, he made really good saves.
"I thought we kept our shape well during that period and kept working at it and I thought the longer the game went on, maybe the stronger we were getting.
"But I have got to say it was a good performance in particular from the Birmingham team but I'm not that disappointed with our performance either."
Hodgson added that he needs time to get his ideas across at Liverpool, with only four games into the season gone.
"It's early days for me, we have a lot of players coming into the team and trying to come to terms of what we are asking of them. But in the end I think it was a very entertaining nil-nil."
