Saturday's 3-1 defeat at embattled Newcastle was just another disappointment in a season that could be described as a never-ending litany of setbacks. Just as the team had shown signs of growth against Tottenham and Aston Villa, Liverpool proved that they had not moved past their shortcomings at St. James' Park.
On Monday, chairman Tom Werner phoned in to LFC TV to address the situation — particularly as it pertains to Roy Hodgson and the transfer market.
"We just got here, Roy got here shortly before us. Nobody, least of all Roy, was happy with our performance last weekend," Werner said.
"We have to perform better, especially on the road. We believe in what Roy is doing and we certainly feel like the performance has to improve, and he'd be the first to say that."
January may provide the Hodgson the opportunity to improve the club, and Werner acknowledged that such is part of the plan.
"We're actively looking at it," he said. "We don't quite know what the situation's going to be in January. It's our first transfer window and it's something we've been studying day and night.
"There's no doubt the play that has gone on this season, and for the last half of last season, is unacceptable for Liverpool to accomplish what it wants to accomplish.
"We're in sync with the fans with regard to what it's going to take for this club going forward."
Werner also addressed Liverpool's need for stadium improvements.
"We certainly feel the need to do something," said Werner. "Our intention is to increase our revenue so we can put put the best possible squad together.
"We're hard at it, we've had a lot of meetings and we are moving forward with various options. It's too early to go in one direction or another in terms of whether or not to build a new stadium or refurbish Anfield, but we are making progress."
For now, Werner seems to be standing behind Hodgson, but he certainly did leave the door open for a change of heart — particularly given his claim that he is "in sync" with the fans.
Fans have been particularly critical of Hodgson since he took over for Rafa Benitez earlier this year — citing his negative tactics and low-impact acquisitions of Joe Cole and Christian Poulsen. If Hodgson is not able to improve the side relatively soon, Werner may be forced to choose between said fans and his inherited manager.
