Roy Hodgson makes Steven Gerrard admission as he admits his Liverpool mistake

Roy Hodgson has opened up about how he wishes he had relied more heavily on Steven Gerrard during his disastrous stint as Liverpool manager. The former Inter Milan chief was brought in to replace Anfield legend Rafa Benitez in July 2010 but endured just six months before getting the axe in January 2011.

The club was up for sale when he took charge, with his appointment sparking fury among countless supporters. Vast numbers of the Anfield faithful wanted club legend Kenny Dalglish installed as Benitez's replacement, and a difficult beginning on Merseyside left Hodgson battling against the odds for virtually his entire reign.

There were even suggestions Gerrard, who subsequently played under Hodgson for England, deliberately fluffed a spot-kick against Blackburn in January 2011 to help seal Hodgson's dismissal, claims that have been comprehensively dismissed. The veteran coach mentioned his former skipper while explaining what he might have done differently if given another chance.

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"I don't think I dealt with it very well," he told Gary Lineker on (via the Liverpool Echo) while reflecting on his spell. "I think [Jamie] Carragher summed it up well. He said, 'You came in also wanting to coach us, we'd just been coached for three years by Benitez.'

"Maybe someone who came in with a softer, more human approach and less coaching-oriented [would have been better-suited]. But of course I'd had a lot of success during that period, so I think I didn't research mentally, 'Right, what is this job? What am I going into? What's it gonna need? What are they gonna expect? What will the players want?'

"I just went in, 'Right, this is what I've been doing. It's been working, let's keep it going.' Which was obviously a mistake. But it's one of those mistakes I have to forgive myself in a way simply because I don't how I could have washed away the feelings and the work that had got me there."

Hodgson also spoke about the chaos that ensued when Fenway Sports Group, then know as New England Sports Ventures, took control of Liverpool in late 2010. He disclosed that one of the new ownership's initial moves was to seek feedback from fan groups about whether Hodgson was suitable for the role, with the overwhelming response being "no."

"And that was being backed up on the field because we weren't winning," he added. "The team actually wasn't really very good at that stage. We'd lost [Fernando] Torres [to Chelsea in January 2011]... who was left of that team? There was Jamie, I suppose. There was [Pepe] Reina, Steven, of course, was still there. But it wasn't the Liverpool team that had done so well [under Benitez]."

When questioned about what he might have approached differently given another opportunity at the Anfield helm, the 78-year-old replied: "I always thought Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard were on board what we were trying to do... but I might have tried to get more out of them.

"[Ask], 'Look, how has it been? What have you not liked? What do you think needs to be changed here?' And even get their ideas about some of the players. I did it very much as the old-fashioned manager-head coach, my responsibility, I've got to do it. I think I'd have done that."

Hodgson's struggles appeared even more glaring when Dalglish took over and instantly extracted more from the squad. The Scot hauled Liverpool from their relegation scrap to secure sixth place, narrowly missing out on European qualification.

Gerrard in particular flourished under Dalglish, with whom he shared a very close relationship. The transformation was evident on the pitch as the Reds were revitalised following Hodgson's abrupt departure.